Creative Critters Cricut Club

Mom's Day Button

2012-09-10T23:35:00.000-05:00

SUPPLY LIST

4 - 6"x6" Cardstock (pastel colors)

2 - 12" White Satin Ribbon

2 - 12" Green Satin Ribbon

1 - 12" White Looped Edges Ribbon

Pink Vinyl (for lettering) or Sticker Letters

1 Rhinestone

Brown Inkpad

Adhesives

Cricut Machine (any size)

FLORALS EMBELLISHED Cricut Cartridge

Hot Glue Gun

I used the FLORALS EMBELLISHED Cricut Cartridge for my unique flower. This flower has 8 layers in all which were cut at 5.5" and were easy to assemble.

I inked the edges with a soft brown ink.

To assemble the button, I used two 5" circles that I cut out of chipboard scraps. NOTE: Cereal boxes also work well for this.

Using a stapler, start attaching your streamer ribbons to the back circle. Streamer lengths can vary in accordance to your preference, mine were 12" long. Loop one 4" piece of ribbon and attach to the top as your 'hanger' for the button.

Layer your streamers, I used three different colors.

Using 4" pieces of pink satin ribbon, loop them and then staple them to the front chipboard circle all the way around it. You will attach your flower to the front of this piece, then hot glue this chipboard circle to the back chipboard circle that has the streamers attached to it.

Use the streamers to personalize your button! These can be used for all sorts of special events... birthdays, new baby, graduation, etc!

WEIGHT LOSS JARS - A visual inspiration

2012-07-08T23:54:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone!

I'm so sorry that it has been so long since I've been able to post! My life has been undergoing a little 'remodeling'!! LOL! Seriously... I am undergoing a transformation of the 'healthy' kind! I had to make a commitment to my local 24HR Fitness gym and my oldest son, Patch, who has now become my personal trainer. Let me just take this opportunity to caution all you mothers of young sons out there... just be cautious when yelling at your sons, because they could one day grow up to be your personal trainer! LOL!

So far I have lost 59lbs and I because I am a 'visual' person (surprised?), I decided to make some 'Weight Loss Jars'. Check it out:

Hope you like my little project!!

Creatively yours,

Tammy

HELLO THURSDAY (special) May 2012

2012-05-06T11:28:00.001-05:00

HELLO EVERYONE!!

Provocraft released a 'special' HELLO THURSDAY last week! For those of you who don't know... HELLO THURSDAY is how Provo Craft announces the release of new cricut cartridges. They release digital cartridges every Thursday, but on the third Thursday the physical cartridges are announced. This past Thursday was a special release of physical cartridges, just in time for Mother's Day gifts. Check them out!

TABLESCAPES SPRING & SUMMER

Cricut Cartridge

WILD CARD 2

Cricut Cartridge

I just LOVE the new WILD CARD 2!! Look at those phrases!! I'll be back tomorrow with a project from the PRETTY PENNANTS, because you know I love to make banners! lol!

Creatively yours,

TammyTopper

Cricut Mini Giveaway

2012-05-05T23:38:00.003-05:00

HAPPY NATIONAL SCRAPBOOK DAY!!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful scrappy day! I worked all day, then rushed out to join my scrappy peeps at my favorite scrapbook retreat up in Denton, Texas called the Elm Street Crafters Retreat! But, before I get neck deep in my cropping... I have a CRICUT MINI to give away!!! Woo Hoo!

The winner is:

Sara said...

Thanks for doing the things you do! I love the banner and will have to scraplift it for sure!

Sara
lakebaby2009 at yahoo dot com

May 4, 2012 11:30 PM

Congratulations Sara! Please email me at cc.ladybug@yahoo.com with your mailing address so I can ship your cricut to you! Thanks everyone!

Creatively yours,

TammyTopper

Florals Embellished - All About MOTHER

2012-05-01T01:38:00.001-05:00

Hello Everyone!

You know, Mother's Day is right around the corner... not this weekend (so don't panic yet), but it is the weekend after, May 8th. To make your card this year, most people will automatically pull up the MOTHER'S DAY 2010 Cricut Cartridge, if they have it, but there is an even better one that should have been named 'Mother's Day'... but it is called the FLORALS EMBELLISHED Cricut Cartridge.

Why FLORALS EMBELLISHED? I think that this cartridge has been dismissed at first glance by alot of people. So, I want to show you the 'secrets' of this cartridge... the PHRASES!!

This is a full cartridge with BASE images, LAYER 1 images, LAYER 2 images, SILHOUETTE images, SILHOUETTE BLACKOUT images, PHRASE images and SHADOW images.

Now, I'm not sure why Provo Craft named this cartridge "FLORALS EMBELLISHED" because I would have called it "ALL ABOUT MOTHER". All the phrases are for cards or layouts that you would make about your mother. Below is just the top row of the keypad, images 1 - 10.

Flower Phrase 1

Flower Phrase 2

Flower Phrase 3

Flower Phrase 4

Flower Phrase 5

Flower Phrase 6

Flower Phrase 7

Flower Phrase 8

Flower Phrase 9

Flower Phrase 10

Now for a one page layout that I made using two of the phrases above.

Below is a sample of the SILHOUETTE feature. So, don't be afraid of all the layers on the base images because you can cut the same image in only two cuts!

But I have to say... even though this flower (Flower 7 cut at 4.5") has EIGHT layers... it wasn't difficult and I love the finished look. I definitely would not recommend cutting them at small sizes though.

This "I LOVE YOU MOM" phrase was under the same key as the

flower above... I liked how the flower shapes are the same.

"WITH ALL MY HEART" is Flower Phrase 8 and would

work with several of the phrases.

You can find this cartridge at CRICUT for only $49.99. Don't forget that I am giving away a Cricut Mini this weekend!!! It's a great way to celebrate NATIONAL SCRAPBOOK DAY on May 5th.

Creatively yours,

Tammytopper

Circles of Patterns!

2012-04-25T13:59:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!

Just wanted to share a couple more 'circle inspiration' layouts with you! The first three layouts were featured on the BASIC GREY BLOG and you can click on their titles to go to those posts.

"HE'S ON HIS OWN"

"JORJA & HER TEDDY BEAR:"

I love how you can use so many patterns on one page by using simple circles. Have you ever bought a 'collection' of patterned papers because they all coordinated so well, but then had trouble trying to put all the different patterns to work on your pages? I have... I'm a pattern paper hoarder and let me tell you, if there is a "collection"... you can bet that I will have to buy, not just one of each, but TWO of each! LOL! My favorite paper companies are BASIC GREY (of course), BO BUNNY and MY MIND'S EYE. They are so good at putting together collections that coordinate and tell a story.

This next layout was the inspiration for my own scrapbook layout today... I just love the design of it and how so many different patterns can be used all together. Lady Grace Belarmino from the BASIC GREY DT designed this page. She used all 1" circles and that she punched out by hand, but if you have a cricut... save your hands! There are dozens of cartridges that offer simple circles.

"YOU ARE SO CUTE"

Of course, my page turned out a little different... my circles are 2" because I really wanted to show off the patterns and colors. I also did not use one collection for this layout, my papers are from a variety of companies, but all in the same color scheme.

The 'circle' design was perfect for these pictures because they reminded me of 'fish scales' and we were at the aquarium at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. Supplies used:

Cricut Expression

Cricut Craft Room

FUN IN THE SUN Cricut Cartridge (shark)

BIRTHDAY BASH Cricut Cartridge (title: Aquarium)

BLACKLETTER Cricut Cartridge (title: Atlantis)

Black cateye stamp pad

Signo white gel pen

Another obsession of mine... double page layouts! So, I simply flipped the design to make a coordinating page. I love how I was able to put three photos on the right side and used the center strip for my journaling.

The shark is from FUN IN THE SUN cricut cartridge and was cut at 3.5":

I used the CRICUT CRAFT ROOM for my cricut cuts and wanted to share how I did my title.

The font feature of CRICUT CRAFT ROOM is pretty cool... check it out:

Click HERE if you cannot see the video above. (I apologize for the blurriness... I was having technical difficultites, but you can still get the idea)

Don't forget that I am giving away a CRICUT MINI!! Leave a comment and make sure you are subscribed to my blog and you too, could be a WINNER!!

Creatively yours,

Tammytopper

CIRCLE INSPIRATION

2012-04-20T01:02:00.000-05:00

Hi Ya'll!!

I'm working for Kiolbassa down in Houston this weekend, but wanted to take a few minutes to share some inspiration with you! Check out these different ways to use circles on your pages!

From OCTOBER AFTERNOON:

From SCRAPBOOK & CARDS TODAY:

From PAGEMAPS:

The layout below is from the sketch above

From JENNI BOWLIN:

From SCRAPBOOK GENERATION (Debbie Sanders):

Each of the sketches/layouts above have the links to them... I encourage you to check them out because each one is just FULL of all kinds of inspiration!!! ENJOY!

Don't forget about the CRICUT MINI giveaway!!

Creatively yours,

Tammy Topper

GRAPHICALLY SPEAKING: Use circles to highlight journaling

2012-04-19T10:33:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!!

We are still featuring CIRCLES this week and all the ways to use them in your projects! Today's layout is from GRAPHICALLY SPEAKING cricut cartridge (an oldie but goodie).

The circles are a major part of my journaling for this layout. They number my TOP TEN FAVORITE MEMORIES. My most favorite memories always include my children which is why I chose this photo for this page. The photo is a 12x12 that I ordered from Costco's photo department and it takes up a whole page.

Because the photo is so big, it's okay that there aren't any photos on the left side at all... which is good, because my journaling takes up all the space.

Don't forget about the CRICUT MINI giveaway!! A lucky winner will be drawn from the comments on both of my blogs and announced on Saturday, May 5th. Good luck everyone and remember, you must be a follower of my blog and please limit your comments to only one per post!

Creatively yours,

Tammy Topper

BIRTHDAY BASH: Circle Embellishment for a Banner

2012-04-18T00:57:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!!

Happy Birthday Demas! Yesterday was his birthday and this Saturday is his "American Idol Karaoke" birthday party. It's his big FORTY birthday, so his mom is throwing him a party and I helped her plan & coordinate it! Of course, it's not a party if we don't have at least ONE thing made with our Cricut! ;-)

I love making banners... but spelling out HAPPY BIRTHDAY means cutting out 14 pieces and stringing them together... makes for a long banner and is not very personal. Besides, you can buy one of those at the party store. So, our banner is only 6 pieces long, because we put "Happy Birthday" all on one piece and spelled out the birthday guy's name on the other 5.

This banner was made using the BIRTHDAY BASH cartridge. It has 13 different banner shapes and each one has a shadow feature which I love because your patterned papers show up better and are much sturdier when backed with a solid shadow. Because this is a special birthday... the big FOUR-ZERO... I wanted to emphasize that in my banner. That's where the "circles" come in:

I used a circle banner from BIRTHDAY BASH that had two holes already in it, so using the 'HIDE/CONTOUR" feature on my gypsy, I simply hid one of the holes. Then I welded the "BIG 40" together, the font is also from BIRTHDAY BASH. Just like in my scrapbook layout yesterday, circles make great backgrounds for embellishments, but their not just for layouts!

There are many ways to 'string' a banner. I like this method the best... cut ribbon 6" inches long and simply tie each banner piece to each other... knot it and trim the edges at an angle. Small ribbon works best.

TA-DA! Finished project! I think it says it all and is only 6 pieces long! See how cute the circles are dangling from each banner piece? Use your imagination and you could use actual pictures cut into circles too!

Perfect size for the fireplace... add photos on the mantle and you've got great decorations for the party!

I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone for all of your encouraging and supportive comments! I can't even begin to tell you how much your comments and emails meant to me. There have been several times over the past 6 months that I seriously considered walking away from everything... closing down Creative Critterz and giving up. I have my grown children to thank for the support and encouragement to continue. They may only be 20/22/24 years old, but they have all grown up so much through this trial in our lives and they each have taken an active role in my metamorphosis. Personal Trainer, nutrition advisor, fashion consultant, Zumba partner and roommate... I have them to thank for holding my hand as I start down this new path.

This new path also includes new projects and things for me to share with you. I am currently working as a brand ambassador for the Kiolbassa Sausage Company out of San Antonio and have started sharing recipes with their product on TOPPER IN THE KITCHEN. I'm excited about that blog because I love to cook almost as much as I love to scrapbook (almost, lol). I will also be sharing my weight loss journey with you on a separate blog (to be announced soon!) and even more exciting... I will continue sharing my love for my cricut here, but can't wait to show you what Jinger has been up to!! It will take your breath away!

So, to celebrate my return to everything crafty... how about a GIVEAWAY!!? National Scrapbook Day is right around the corner and I have a brand new CRICUT MINI to give away!! I will draw a winner and announce that person on National Scrapbook Day, Saturday, May 5th! Wow... that's just a little over 2 weeks away!

To be eligible to win, you must be a follower of my blog and can get extra entries if you also join my TOPPER IN THE KITCHEN blog too! One comment per post please. Thanks again everyone!

Creatively yours,

Tammytopper

CIRCLES, CIRCLES, CIRCLES....

2012-04-17T02:48:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!!

This week I am focusing on how to use simple circles in your scrapbook layouts. This is a layout that I did for my vacation book and I really love how it turned out. I only had one sheet of this awesome printed paper, so I cut it into 3"x12" strips and used them on both pages. Now the circles on these pages work well, because I needed something to showcase the cute 'travel' Jolee stickers that I had. The circles on the opposite page will hold my journaling.

"LET THE VACATION BEGIN"

1 - 12X12 patterned paper

2 - 12x12 Sage green cardstock

2 - 12x12 white cardstock

1 - 12x12 mustard cardstock

1 - 12x12 olive cardstock

white gel pen

chocolate cateye stamp pad

ART PHILOSOPHY Cricut Cartridge

DESIGNER CALENDAR Cricut Cartridge (word 'Vacation')

DON JUAN Cricut Cartridge (words 'Let/the/begin')

Love my white gel pen!

Take care everyone!!! Hope your day is a great one.

Creatively yours,

Tammy

Jinger Adams Design Team

2012-04-16T04:29:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!!

I've got some exciting news! For the past six months, I have been undergoing a metamorphosis. I separated from my husband of 26 years quite unexpectantly, am now in the process of getting a divorce, moved back from California to Texas (where I belong) and have completely changed my life. In the past, I have always enjoyed my scrapbooking as therapy for times when I was stressed or sad. But, this time, even scrapbooking was not effective... at first. So, I started walking. In the beginning, it was an excuse to put my headphones on and blare my music as loud as I could and not think... just walk. Then, when I realized how many calories I was burning... I decided that it was time (past time actually) to get healthy and lose weight. It's been working too... I've lost 47lbs so far, but still have a long way to go. This metamorphosis has just begun...

My other exciting news is that I am SO honored to have been selected as designer on Jinger Adams' Design Team!!! And just look at the creative ladies that I will be rubbing elbows with!

I have recaptured my 'creative mojo' and simply can't wait to share everything with you! This week is gonna be all about CIRCLES! I'll be back with a layout using lots & lots of circles and of course we have to celebrate with a GIVEAWAY!!

Creatively yours,

Tammy

CRAFT ROOM EXCLUSIVES: April 12, 2012

2012-04-14T00:05:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone!!

Here's FIVE more Cricut Craft Room Exclusive digital cartridges just released yesterday!

Click HERE to purchase the AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE ALPHABET:

Click HERE to purchase BARNYARD BABIES:

Click HERE to purchase CHEERLEADING:

Click HERE to purchase MIXED DRINKS:

Click HERE to purchase SEASONAL CHARACTERS:

Hmmmm... not sure if the CHEERLEADING cartridge or the MIXED DRINKS cartridge is my favorite of this release!! LOL! But I do have to say that the SEASONAL CHARACTERS are stinking cute! Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!

Creatively yours,

Tammy

CRAFTROOM EXCLUSIVES: April 5, 2012

2012-04-06T10:08:00.001-05:00

Hello Everyone!!

It's ALL ABOUT MOTHER'S DAY with these new Craftroom images! Check them out!

Mother's Day is right around the corner! Only a little over a month away, MAY 13TH. I love that Provocraft has released these images in plenty of time for everyone to plan their projects with them.

These images are to be used with Provo Craft's online FREE software CRICUT CRAFT ROOM. Click on the name to go download it FREE today! These images and many many more can be purchased in the CRICUT CRAFT ROOM EXCLUSIVE store online. (prices vary).

Enjoy Everyone!

Creatively yours,

Tammy

HELLO THURSDAY for MARCH 2012

2012-03-17T10:51:00.000-05:00

Provocraft stays busy with providing PLENTY of cartridges (both digital and phyiscal) these days! HELLO THURSDAY for March 2012 will offer a total of FIVE cartridges... 4 Cricut and 1 Imagine:

ART DECO Cricut Cartridge

CHIP DECOR Cricut Cartridge

PAPER DOLL TEEN SCENE Cricut Cartridge

SPRING COTTAGE Cricut Cartridge

CONTEMPORARY NATURE Imagine Cartridge

These cartridges can all be purchased online at CRICUT SHOPPING

Creatively yours,

Tammytopper

CCR Hello Thursday - MAR 8

2012-03-16T23:35:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone!!

Wow! I love all the cartridges that Provo Craft has been releasing! I needed this past week of Spring Break to 'catch-up' on everything! Did you see the MARCH 8th Cricut Craft Room Exclusives? Well, here they are:

3D TREES can be purchased for $9.99 by clicking on the title.

Click HERE to see the digital handbook.

CHINA can be purchased for $9.99 by clicking on the title.

Click HERE for the digital handbook

LAS VEGAS can be purchased for $9.99 by clicking on the title.

Click HERE for the digital handbook

NEW YORK can be purchased for $9.99 by clicking on the title.

Click HERE for the digital handbook

PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT can be purchased for $9.99 by clicking on the title.

Click HERE to see the digital handbook

Great images!!

Creatively yours,

Tammy

HELLO THURSDAY FEBRUARY 2012

2012-02-28T02:14:00.001-06:00

Hello Everyone!

Happy National Pancake Day!! I know, I know... any excuse to have a holiday! But, I couldn't resist celebrating this one with an appetizer that I found on Pinterest! Check it out at my new site TOPPER IN THE KITCHEN. Don't miss out on the giveaway I have over there either!

Did you see the 'Hello Thursday' cartridges for February!?! There were only three this month, but they are some good ones! Check it out...

Creative Memories' DIVINE WEDDING Cricut Cartridge

GARDEN SOUP Cricut Cartridge

TAGS, BAGS, BOXES & MORE 2 Cricut Cartridge

Woot woot!! I am so excited about the TBBM2! This one is even better than the first because it come with TWO handbooks! Yep, you heard me... the normal handbook plus another one that is full of instructions on how to assemble the boxes!! Now THAT rocks! I just had to cut one out to play with...

Thanks for stopping by and I hope that you have a 'pancakity' day today!

Creatively yours,

Tammytopper

FEBRUARY 2012: Cricut Craft Room Exclusives

2012-02-27T09:06:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone!

Here are last week's new Cricut Craft Room Exclusives!

BUNNIES AND CHICKS

EASTER BASKET

EASTER BLESSINGS

EASTER MAGIC

HAPPY EASTER

Aren't those awesome!? These cartridges are digital and only available through Cricut Craft Room (click HERE for more information). Cricut Craft Room is a FREE program that you can use physical cartridges that you already own and also allows you to purchase digital packs like the ones above. If you haven't tried it yet, you should! I'm a huge gyspy lover, but I also enjoy using the my large computer screen to design more complex projects and Cricut Craft Room allows me to do that anywhere I have an internet connection!

Seeing these new Easter images really puts me in the mood for spring!! ;-) It's still a little chilly here in Texas, and we are suppose to have rain today... but I'm not complaining! Hope the weather where you are is nice and if it isn't... just stay inside and work on some spring projects!

Creatively yours,

Tammytopper

WINNER: Stencil Project Cricut Cartridge

2012-02-26T23:09:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone!!

Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments! I read each and every one of them and appreciate all of your support! I had a wonderful weekend scrapbooking with my scrappy peeps at a new hotel in the DFW area! It will be the new location of some 'Creative Critterz' scrapbooking retreats!

Hmmmm... was that a 'hint' of some of what I've been up to? Well, enough of that, because I have a winner to announce!!

Saundra said...This came out adorable, Tammy! I have yet to cut anything out of vinyl. I have plans to, just haven't found the right phrase. I'm a little afraid of messing it up! :P
Thanks for the wonderful giveaway!]
~Saundra
Luvscrappingtogether at gmail dot com
February 21, 2012 2:58 PM

Congratulations Saundra! You just won the STENCIL PROJECT CRICUT CARTRIDGE! Please email your address to me at cc.ladybug@yahoo.com and don't be afraid of vinyl! It's forgiveable and will peel off if you mess it up! ;-)

Creatively yours,

Tammy Topper

TOPPER IN THE KITCHEN!

2012-02-23T11:56:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone!

I am so excited to start revealing some of what's been keeping me busy! You know that I love all things crafty and creative, I've shared my creativity with you for FOUR years now! In celebration of my four years as a blogger, I've kicked it up a notch! I am now bringing you what I call 'crafty cooking' with a new blog called TOPPER IN THE KITCHEN!

You might ask, "Who is Topper?"... well, that's ME! I'm using an old nickname to market a series of sites designed to educate and inspire in a creative and crafty way! Check out my first post HERE! It's a fun, easy way to make corndogs that are baked, not fried and totally full of flavor! So, come get crafty with me in the kitchen!

Don't worry, I won't be neglecting this site! I have some fun craftiness for you tomorrow that you are sure to love! Don't forget that I'm also giving away the STENCIL Project Cricut Cartridge this week! I will draw the winner tomorrow night and announce it on Saturday!

Creatively yours,

Tammy

BABY STEPS: Nursery Wall

2012-02-21T11:24:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone!

I am so excited to share this special project with you! My daughter, Samantha and I traveled to Memphis, Tennessee last week to spend some time with family. My cousins, Jes & Jonny are expecting. So while we were there we helped decorate my cousin's nursery as our gift to her and the baby. Her due date is February 24th so we are currently on 'baby watch'!

Our supplies for this project were very affordable:

- Cricut Expression 2
- BABY STEPS Cricut Cartridge (font)
- PLANTIN SCHOOLBOOK Cricut Cartridge (leaves)
- Brown Vinyl (3)
- Pink Vinyl
- Lavendar Vinyl
- Transfer Tape
- Chocolate brown paint
- Paint brush

I even made a short video to show you how cute it is!! More detailed instructions are below.

Click HERE if you can't see the video above

I used brown vinyl and cut everything with a 12x12 cricut mat on my Cricut Expression 2. Abigail's name was cut with the font from BABY STEPS Cricut Cartridge at 10". Thanks to my gypsy, I was able to position all the letters on just 2 pieces of 12x12 vinyl. I then cut them out with my scissors and laid them out on the dining room table.

It was helpful that the table had lines on it, so I just used those to line my letters up. You can also use a yardstick or just the edge of a table to make sure you transfer the name/word straight.

I just 'eyeballed' the spacing between the letters, but you could use a ruler if you want to be exact. To keep the letters from moving around, I used a small piece of scotch tape to hold them in place.

The transfer tape comes in 12x24" pieces and there are two sheets in each pack. Abigail's name measured approximately 40" long, so I used both pieces of transfer tape.

To do this, all you need to do is overlap the transfer tape.

My font was cut at 10" and my transfer tape is 12" tall... but I still had a few letters go above and below the lines.

No worries though... just take a scrap piece of transfer tape and overlap it to extend over the letter.

Don't forget to burnish the entire thing with the provided popsicle stick or bone folder.

Gently peel the transfer tape back.

Ta da! Ready to apply it to the wall... except, did anyone notice that I misspelled her name? Yikes! I left out the second 'i'! Good thing I noticed before applying it to the wall, but even if I hadn't, vinyl is removeable... so it is still fixable.

Using either your gypsy or Cricut Craft Room will allow you to get the most out of the vinyl you are using. I was able to cut 112 leaves out of only 8 pieces of 12x12 vinyl.

We layered pink vinyl leaves over the brown vinyl leaf shadows (PLANTIN SCHOOLBOOK). Normally I would be OCD about the leaves being green, but because the nursery colors are these pretty pastels with a brown and white base... the pink leaves looked awesome!

(Cousin Mandy helped with this part! That was alot of leaves!)

Here is the nursery BEFORE...

I could have cut my tree trunk and branches out of vinyl too and pieced them together to make the whole thing. But it was way easier and less expensive to just purchase brown paint and paint the tree onto the wall. Samantha and I free-handed the outline of the tree with a pencil and then started painting.

Just remember to keep you strokes going all in the same direction.

Here is our completed project!

I was inspired when I found this project on PINTEREST. It was originally hand painted by a lady named Sharon Kuplack who owns 'Whimsical Walls". Talk about talented! Oh, my gosh! I truly enjoyed browsing her website and would recommend her to anyone. Of course, she lives in Wisconsin and is not readily available to everyone, but I truly appreciate the inspiration she gave me!

Let's start this week out right with a giveaway! I have another STENCIL Project Cricut Cartridge to giveaway!! Leave a comment and tell me if you have tried cutting vinyl for your walls yet!

Creatively yours,

Tammy

WINNER - Cricut Stencil Cartridge

2012-02-06T08:29:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone!

First let me apologize for the extreme delay in my giveaway and take care of that immediately:

The winner of the CRICUT STENCIL CARTRIDGE is:

The Fillhard's said...
There are some nice cartridges this month. I really like the baby shower one, a lot of it can be used for more than baby things. I also like the new Font Candy, looks like a lot a great new and different fonts. The Imagine card cartridges also looks great.
Thanks for the chance to win the Stencil cartridge, I really need this for my daughters room that we are going to redo soon.
Christi
fillhardfarm at ymail dot com
January 20, 2012 5:49 AM

CONGRATS Christi!! Please email me at cc.ladybug@yahoo.com with your mailing address.

Creatively yours,

Tammy

HELLO THURSDAY for JANUARY 2012

2012-01-20T00:34:00.000-06:00

Hi Ya'll!!

Hold on to your socks, because I have TEN new cricut cartridges that are gonna blow them off!

BABY SHOWER PROJECT CRICUT CARTRIDGE

BRIDAL SHOWER PROJECT CRICUT CARTRIDGE

ELMO & FRIENDS HOLIDAY CARTRIDGE

FUN IN THE SUN CRICUT LITE CARTRIDGE

GIANT FLOWERS PROJECT CARTRIDGE

GREETING CARDS INSIDE & OUT IMAGINE CARTRIDGE

LETTER ENVY FONT CRICUT CARTRIDGE

CIRCLE EXCLUSIVE

MY QUIET BOOK PROJECT CRICUT CARTRIDGE

OLE CRICUT CARTRIDGE

TYPE CANDY FONT CRICUT CARTRIDGE

Talk about FUN cartridges!! I really love the two font cartridges! Which ones are your favorites? Leave a comment and let me know. I will give away the STENCIL PROJECT CRICUT CARTRIDGE to a lucky winner on Friday, January 27th!! Leave a comment and make sure you are a follower of my blog and you could be that lucky winner!

Creatively yours,

Tammy

CRICUT MINI WINNER!!!!

2012-01-19T00:20:00.000-06:00

Hi ya'll!

Today is HELLO THURSDAY, so I will be sharing new and exciting cartridges with you later. First, I want to announce the winner of the CRICUT MINI....

Anonymous said...
I just discovered your blog and subscribed right away! I'm new to the cricut world, but am loving it already. I would love to win this cute little machine.

Megan
January 16, 2012 12:10 PM

Congratulations Megan! Please email me at cc.ladybug@yahoo.com with your contact information!

Creatively yours!

Tammy

CCR NEW ENGLAND SHORE: "We're Lost" LO

2012-01-11T00:37:00.000-06:00

Hi Ya'll!

Today, I'm featuring the new NEW ENGLAND SHORE digital cartridge. This cartridge represents the New England area, but I actually plan to use it on my cruise albums that I STILL have not completed! Every image on here can be used for a cruise and you can buy all six images for only $9.99.

I chose the compass image to use on a scrapbook page about how we got lost on our way to the ship! LOL! Since I am giving a cute little CRICUT MINI away this week... I will be using my MINI (noooo... not a Mini Cooper either! lol) all week!

The compass is a total of 4 pieces which I cut out at 7".

Gotta love a little inking...

To add some dimension, I used pop squares for the center part of my compass

Ta-da! Looks good!

I used PACK YOUR BAGS cricut cartridge for my page title...cut it out at 2". It was perfect!

I wanted a clean simple look for this page and I love how it turned out!

Even added a little bit of bling... !

Don't forget that I am giving away a cute little CRICUT MINI this week!! Just leave a comment on any or all of my posts this week and YOU could be the winner!

Creatively yours,

Tammy

CCR: Fiesta Digital Cartridge

2012-01-10T00:06:00.000-06:00

Hi Ya'll!!

Last Thursday, Provocraft released 5 new digital cartridges (see them here). One of those cartridges is called FIESTA and I took the jalapeno pepper image and made a card out of it in Cricut Craft Room.

Welding images in CCR is super easy... it recognizes when images are overlapped and automatically welds them. A box will pop up and give you the option to unweld, if that's what you want.

I used my Cricut Mini for today's project. For those of you who are not familiar with the Mini, it has a smaller cutting mat that measures 8.5" x 12". Now, at first I didn't think I would like a smaller mat... remember, I am a diehard Texan and we believe that 'bigger' is 'better'! lol! But, I actually really like the new size, because it allows me to use up all that 8.5"x11" cardstock that I have.

This is my favorite picture in today's post... because you see that little black lever? Yep... I saw it, but didn't know what it was. Never ever even thought about it being the PRESSURE DIAL!! I swear (true confession time) that I struggled with my Mini for a good week! I had resorted to multi-cutting everything like 5 times just to get my cuts to come out! It was sad. Until I was talking to my fellow bloggers, Joy and Melanie (Everyday Cricut) and Joy (thanks Joy!) told me what that little black lever was for! OMGoodness... I would have figured that out if I had bothered to read the startup instructions, duh, but I always appreciate learning from my friends! If you get a chance, visit Joy's blog (www.obsessedwithscrapbooking.com) and tell her I said, "THANKS"!

Layer one of my card!

Top layer... notice that I did not weld these pieces together, but I did flip one.

Ta-da! So cute!

The cardstock that I used has a white backing which makes it perfect for cards.

Here is my card folded.

Add a bow and my sentiment cut with the CRICUT CRAFT ROOM BASIC FONT...

... and I have a cute card for Valentine's Day!

Now for my very exciting news!!!

I am giving away a brand new CRICUT MINI this week!

WOO HOO!!! All you need to do is leave a comment on any or all of my posts this week and I will announce a winner next Monday, January 16th! Good luck everyone!

Creatively yours,

Tammy