Vivi’s Vacation Mini Album~Cricut FANatics Blog

Today is my very first post on the Cricut FANatics blog and I’m very excited to share my project with you. I made a mini album for my little Granddaughter so she can scrap her photos and memorabilia from the cruise that she took with her family last month. I used the Mini Books cartridge and I really loved how quick and easy it was to make and put together. I used my Cricut Expression and the Cricut Craftroom to create this album.

I just used some cardstock and cruise themed patterned paper that I had on hand and some glittered cardstock to create my mini album along with some ribbons, brads, inks and pop dots. To make the embellishments, I used a variety of Cricut cartridges including Life’s A Beach, Pack Your Bags, Traveler, Ole and Destinations. There were just so many cute cuts to use for a cruise vacation!

This mini album has a front and back cover, a piece for the binding, 10 pages in graduated sizes, and 3 pocket or envelope pages. And although I didn’t use all of the pages, it still is a nice sized mini with plenty of room for pictures, journaling, and extras. A couple of the pages were a little small so I cut two each of the smaller pages and adhered them together to make pockets for larger tags.

Here is the page for Vivi to scrap about their stop in Mexico ~

I used different ribbons for my binding but you can also use some binding rings.

There are 3 different envelope pages for this mini album. These are perfect for putting extra photos in your book or even all of those extras that you come home with after a vacation – tickets. souvenirs, etc.

I hope that I have inspired you to finish scrapping those vacation photos or make a mini album for yourself or as a gift for someone special like have for my Granddaughter! I know that she will enjoy putting the finishing touches on her new vacation album!

Here are the cut sizes:
Mini Books – mini album on page 14 cut at 5”
Life’s A Beach – coral @ 5”, seaweed @ 4.5”, hibiscus @ 3.75”, shells @ 4”, wave border stretched to 6.78” x 1.46” in CCR
Pack Your Bags – ship @ 4”
Destinations – Mexico tag @ 3.5”
Ole – maracas @ 2.5”
Traveler – wave @ 5.5'” x 2” (in CCR), sunglasses @ 2.8”, ‘Adventure’ @ 1.8”, ‘Memories’ @ 2”, ‘Vacation’ @ 1.7” (parts of this were cut off by hand), name @ 1” (Font 1 Shadow)
Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of the mini album! I enjoy all of your “Blog Love” that you leave! Thank you.
Until next time, Happy Crafting,

PS – Please remember all of those who lost their lives and loved ones 12 years ago today and pray that we will never go through that horror again!

Are you a fanatic? A Cricut FANatic?

The definition of a Fanatic -

noun – a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal

Does this sound like anyone you know? wow! listen to all the, ME! ME! ME!  Well, then you are in for a treat! The new blog, Cricut FANantics, debuts tomorrow, September 1st! I am proud to announce that I am one of the Cricut FANatic designers and I will post a new Cricut project on the blog each month. It is a great honor because there are so many talented designers that will bring you Cricut inspiration each and every day of the month. Not only will there be projects each day but there will also be Cricut Crafty Challenges and Cricut Sketch Challenges every month. Click this link to head over to the blog and be sure to become a follower.

Until next time, Happy Crafting

Cricut Circle Stick Pin Swap

Hey friends! When I joined the Cricut Circle there was a stick pin swap already in progress but I loved reading the swap thread even though I wasn’t a part of the group. The posts on this thread were so entertaining and I could just tell that this group of women were a lot of fun. I posted that I was just having a ball reading their posts everyday and that I would like to try making some of the stick pins just for myself since I still had a lot of beads left over from my jewelry making days. To my amazement, a couple of the ladies agreed to do a one-on-one swap with me! Ohhh, how sweet (thanks jjewel and scrapcat). So I got to work on my pins – well, after a little retail therapy! Yes, I had to go buy a few, well okay, a little more than a few (and that’s all that I will admit to) more beads! Then towards the end of the swap, someone dropped out and they asked if I could be they’re Angel. They must have noticed the halo in my avatar – and they didn’t even mind if it was a little crooked, lol! So I ended up making enough stick pins for everyone in the group – two each. That’s a grand total of 38 stick pins! I even made a tag for each set although mine were nothing like the ones I received back. Those ladies aren’t just nice, they are all so talented! These are now my Circle sisters and some have become good friends.

Today I will share some of the stick pins that I made and later on I will share all of the gorgeous pins that I got in return. (I still haven’t taken any photos of them yet. I was so amazed when I opened the box, all I have been able to do is lay them all out and ohhh and ahhh over them!) Now, for those who are not sure what stick pins are, think about the old hat pins but on a smaller scale. They are very popular in scrapbooking and card making right now.

And here are two sets that I had already packaged with their tags:

I cut these cute little Bug Heads with my Cricut, of course!

The stick pins were so much fun to make and my Circle swap group is the greatest! I had so much fun, in fact, that I signed up with this group to swap again. This time? Yep, more beads! We are swapping beaded tendrils to make bracelets in one group and the other group is for the “die hard crafter” and we can make anything we want to as long as it has beads. I foresee another round of retail therapy in my near future…

Until next time, Happy Crafting,

Changes!

Hey friends, so much has happened (good and not so good) since I last blogged. Some of the good things:

• I LOVE life!
• Family has a different meaning now! It doesn’t mean the nuts that have fallen from MY tree. It does include the strong parts of my tree that have stuck by me – NO MATTER WHAT! (you know who you are and aren’t), my daughter, my son, my daughter-in-law, my Grandchildren, and my new Grandson who’s on the way, my dear and close friends, and my new online sisters!
• My Son has married a wonderful woman whom I am honored to call Daughter! And she has brought two beautiful grandkids into this family and I love them so much!
• I am looking forward to welcoming a new little one to our family in 2013!
• I am now a Cricut Circlet! Yes, I have found the PINK side!
• My blog has changed – and with any luck, it will change again – soon!
• I am crafting again! This is a big one, folks.
• I am many steps closer to getting my craft room set up just right!
• I have a new punchbowl (ok, this is an insider comment. If you know what it means, then it’s for you! Don’t be a hater!)
• And most important,  I am blessed!

There are more changes that have happened and many more to come and I’m excited about it all! I happy and excited to be sharing my art and heart with you and I invite your comments (Blog Love!). If you like what you see, I hope that you will follow me on my crafty journey. And for all of my current followers, I LOVE YOU ALL! Thank you for sticking with me!

Here’s a preview of tomorrow’s post:

Until next time, Happy Crafting,

New Blog Under Construction

I have been MIA for quite some time but I’m coming back with a new blog look and a new ME! I’m excited about the changes and I’ll explain as I go. A big THANK YOU to all of my followers who have stuck it out with me so far. I appreciate you all. So excuse the ‘mess’ while I’m working on making a new blog to go with my new life!

My Crafty Channel

I want to introduce a new website called My Crafty Channel. This is something new and I am very excited about it. Here is some info from My Crafty Channel:

What is My Craft Channel?

It is the first of its kind online craft TV network that features over 20 top craft celebrities from across the country.  It brings the blogger, crafter, and scrapbook community together in one place to provide inspiration through broadcast quality shows in various categories from sewing, scrapbooking, DIY projects, mixed media, stamping, digital hybrid crafts, photography, party planning, product reviews and more!

Mission Statement:

To create a massive network of talented women who already have a large individual following.  By joining together we can create a large vehicle that gives us a voice and a platform to share our message to a larger mainstream audience. By working together  with manufacturers and retailers in the craft sector, our goal is to complete the circle by providing inspiration to the end user through broadcast quality shows.

When and Where?

This Fall we will launch our new website where you can come and view new broadcast quality shows every week. As long as you have an internet connection you can tune into these amazing hosts and be INSPIRED!!

Please go visit them and meet all of the new hosts. Go ahead and follow their blog. The also have some awesome giveaways! Here is the link: My Crafty Channel 

Last Friday they announced that Teresa Collins is one of their new hosts! i {{{HEART}}} teresa collins!!! i will post photos of all the TC scrapbooking items that i bought at ckc later! And today they announced that Heidi Swapp is also going to be hosting! another big {{{HEART}}} for HS!

Until next time, Happy Crafting,

Blog Candy Winner(s)?

Thanks to all who commented on last weekends posts about the new Cricut cartridges that were released in June. I have my favorites, too. I absolutely have to have Sophisticated! Teresa Collins has wonderful designs and this cartridge is no exception! plus, the cartridge box matches the colors in my scrap room! what? this is not a reasonable excuse to buy a cart? Traveler is another cart that I need. I still have so many photos to scrap of vacations and even when I was a Flight Attendant. Although I have Pack Your Bags, there are images on Traveler that I like more. Now to the winner of the Blog Candy! (Sorry for being late with this post )

CARRIE K.

In one of her comments, Carrie said, “I agree with you, thank goodness that is all for this month!! I NEED Flower Shoppe!! But I am still not caught up from a couple of months ago! I wish PC would give us a 2 or 3 month vacation and let us get caught up!!”

Carrie, now that you mentioned it, I am thinking that I need Flower Shoppe also! I’m in a “flower phase” right now and most projects have some kind of flower on it.

But wait! I’m feeling so good about blogging again, that I picked a ‘runner up’ for some Blog Candy!

KIM

In one of her comments, Kim said, “Provo Craft did an amazing job keeping us all buying! I love the Traveler from Creative Memories! Living in Florida this would be the perfect cartridge:)”
~Kim

Kim, I cannot wait to get mine! (Yep, it’s already been ordered!) I hope it gets here soon!

Carrie and Kim, please email me your addresses so I can get your Blog Candy sent to you. Thanks girls for commenting and following. It makes me feel like I’m blogging for a reason, that someone is out there reading and enjoying this!

Until next time, Happy Crafting,