CJToo Design Team Wednesday: I Am Thankful For...

Welcome to another Craft Junkie Too Design Team Wednesday!  This week, our theme was "I Am Thankful For".  Before I explain my project, I have to thank Tracy over at CJToo for coming up with this theme and letting us have free reign.

Have you ever made a project, and the process of constructing it was totally therapeutic?  That's what this project was for me.  Before I started, I sat down and thought of everything and everyone I'm thankful for in my life, which lead me on the long journey to the completion of this project.

As most of my close friends know, I've been having a really rough time lately.  The stress of unemployment and a constant job search that seems to lead nowhere, coupled with ongoing personal issues have made the past few months difficult for me.  I have amazing family and incredibly supportive friends (plus my awesome bloggy companions) that have made things a little better for me, but there are two very special little "people" who have kept me going, even when I didn't want to continue.

My dogs.

That statement might sound strange to anyone who is not a pet owner, but Bella and Dixie have been my anchor for the past few months.  They love me unconditionally, and the sight of me is always the highlight of their day, whether I've been gone 30 minutes or 3 hours.  There were times when I honestly didn't want to get out of bed, but I had to in order to give them the care they need.  I could be having the absolute worst day ever, and all they have to do is come curl up in my lap and stare up at me with those adorable eyes, and I can't help but smile.


They are actually doing that as I type this :)

So, I really wanted to make a project dedicated to my dogs.  I came up with the idea of doing a paper bag mini album, so I could have a book full of pictures to look at whenever I felt down.  I had never made a paper bag mini before, so I found instructions on YouTube and gave it a go.

Here's the final result:





I tried to list everything I used in the video, because I used a lot of different cartridges and inks.  Hopefully I remembered them all :)

 I hope you truly enjoyed this mini album, as I had a BLAST making it.  Make you you hop over to http://www.craftjunkietoo.com and see all of Design Team 2's projects today!

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

SweetSassyDiva Design Team: "Joy" Banner

Our challenge for SweetSassyDiva's Design Team project this week was to use the color green, use our Cuttlebug in some way, and to use felt.  I decided to make this "Joy" banner using chipboard coasters.  I used lovely green damask patterned paper from DCWV's "Christmas Combo" stack and inked around the edges of the coasters with Peeled Paint Distress Ink.  I really wanted to use my new digital carts on my Gypsy, so I used two in today's project, Blackletter and Christmas Solutions.  The word "Joy" is cut from the Blackletter Cartridge using the font and the shadow.  I ran the regular word through my Xyron and then used Martha Stewart Flocking in Ladybug to give the letters a "faux felt" effect.  After I flocked the letters, I ran it through my Cuttlebug using the D'Vine Swirls folder.  I love how you can emboss flocked letters!

The snowflake is from the Christmas Solutions cartridge, and I cut the regular snowflake and the shadow as well.  I flocked the snowflake using MS Flocking in Swan. 

I punched holes and set eyelets in all of the coasters using my Crop a Dile, and strung ribbon between the holes.  I think it turned out great and I love the traditional Christmas look :)

 

This project came together in a SNAP thanks to my Gypsy girl.  I used a rounded 4 x4 square as a template to make sure I had everything sized correctly, then laid EVERYTHING out on one mat!  That's right, I got all my cuts done on one mat, in one turn on the Cricut.  Love it!

CJToo Design Team Wednesday: Fall Is In The Air!

Happy Wednesday everyone! Today is Design Team Wednesday, and here is my project. This weeks theme was "Fall is In The Air", and we were asked to create a fall project that can be hung somewhere (door, wall, window, etc). I was visiting Marys blog at Cardz TV and she had made a cute little Halloween door hanger out of a paper towel roll.  I actually had an empty paper towel roll sitting on my craft table, just waiting to be made into something, so I took Mary's awesome idea and made it my own.

Recipe:

*Paper Towel Roll

*Chipboard

*DCWV "Amber Autumn" stack

*Recollections Spice Market Stack

*Large Ribbon

*Cricut "Holiday Cakes" Cartridge

*Gypsy Wanderings Cartridge

*"Thanksgiving" Seasonal Cartridge

*Perfect Pearls

*Tim Holtz Distress Ink

I ran the paper towel roll through my Cuttlebug using the A, B, and C plates.  After several good passes, I sealed the edges with Zip Dry so it would lay completely flat.  I covered the flat roll with patterned cardstock and then punched two holes on top and one hole on bottom with my Crop-A-Dile, and then set bronze eyelets in each hole.

For the spinning pendant, I found a perfect image on the Holiday Cakes cartridge.

  I cut it first out of recycled chipboard, and then covered BOTH sides with the brown and orange (I used "Flip" on my Cricut to make the back mirror the front).  That way, when it spins, both sides look the same :)  To finish off the pendant, I inked the inside and outside with Spice Marmalade Distress Ink

Aren't the little pumpkin and leaf so adorable?  I cut them both from chipboard, and the Gypsy Wanderings cartridge.  I inked the edges in Spiced Marmalade and Walnut Stain Distress Ink, and then mounted them on large foam dimensionals so they really stand out from the paper.

"Give Thanks" is cut from the Thanksgiving Seasonal Mini.  I'm so glad I got that cartridge!  There are some great elegant images and sentiments for Fall and Harvest projects.  I inked the leaf on the word "Thanks" with Perfect Medium and then brushed on some Forever Red Perfect Pearls.  It makes it super shimmery :)


So, what do you think?  I LOVE how it turned out, and it was so easy!  It's hanging off of our mailbox on the front of our house right now and it looks very cute.

Make sure you stop by Cardz TV to see Mary's original Halloween banner, and then hop on over to Craft Junkie Too to check out the rest of Design Team #2's projects!

Have a fabulous Wednesday everyone!

My HSN Day of Crafting Wish List

Is anyone else as exhausted as I am from staying up late for the Imagine launch?  I've been glued to the TV ALL day!  Cricut, Tim Holtz, Martha Stewart...I just can't stop.  I've also been extremely good and bought NOTHING.



That hasn't stopped me from doing some serious window shopping.  ;)

My Christmas list is slowly expanding, and I thought I would make a post showcasing everything I've wanted to buy today (if I had unlimited funds).

1.) Cricut Imagine

 

I think I may be the only Cricut lover on the planet that doesn't have a Cricut Expression.  My Cricut Cake was actually my very first Cricut purchase, and then I inherited a Baby Bug, which fueled my paper crafting obsession.  I've been on the fence about buying an Expression for a long time, and now I'm wondering if I should just get an Imagine and be done with it.  The price tag is kind of insane.  I'm hoping someone that loves me very much will buy this for me for Christmas using Flex Pay ;)  (wink wink, nudge nudge)

2.) Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad Set

 

I also think I'm the only crafter on the planet that doesn't own any Distress Inks.  I see them in craft stores and I always pass them by, mostly because I'm terrified of inking.  I don't know why, I just am.  Tim did a demo today on HSN that totally sold me on inking.  These sets sold out ridiculously fast today, and I got a little depressed that I was being strong and didn't buy them.  I guess I'll have to start hoarding 40% off coupons and buying a few at Michaels.

3.)  Martha Stewart Halloween Foil and Flocking Transfer Kit

OK, I'm not going to lie, I may go ahead and buy this.  It's only $14.95.  I haven't flocked before, and I've always wanted to try, and these Halloween kits are too stinking cute.  Do I really need to make 500 more Halloween cards?  Probably not.  But I'm hoping once I start with these, I may be brave enough to buy individual pots of flocking and try them on other cards.  I don't know if I've ever seen these at M's, so I may be tempted to pick these up.

4.) Martha Stewart Halloween Glitter Set

That Glow-In-The-Dark Glitter gets me
EVERY.
SINGLE.
TIME.

I can't even count the amount of times I've walked into Michaels, grabbed the bottle, carried it around the store, and then put it back at the last minute.  The black tinsel glitter is really nice too.

5.) Anna Griffin Clear Stamp Storage Binder

I'm a damask FREAK.  My wedding was damask, when I finally get my own craft room, it will be damask, I love ALL THINGS damask.  These are GORGEOUS and I really want them, and you get 2 for $22.00.  Hopefully they stay on the website for awhile and I can get them eventually.

6) Xyron Create-a-Sticker Kit

                                             

I've seen this before (at Tuesday Morning, I believe, and it was cheaper) but I never bought it because I had NO idea how it worked.  Now that I do, I think it's a handy little tool!  Next time I'm at Tuesday Morning I'll have to grab one.

So, what did YOU see on HSN today that you would love to have (or bought)?  I would love to hear your comments.

P.S. I re-did my blog layout, and hopefully comments will work now.  So...this is the perfect opportunity to test it out!  Leave me a comment, my lovely followers!