Ralphie Turns 54

Wow. 54. Yikes. Funny when you're young you think 50 is ancient and when you're 50 you think you're still young LOL. Well, thought I'd make a "young at heart" card for Ralphie. I know he'll like it. The only thing missing for his birthday will be the boys. Having both at college is way harder than I ever imagined. I miss them everyday.

Dragon: digi from Doodle Dragons
Sentiment: SU
Nestabilities circles
Papers, ribbon, twine, beads, and candles from stash
I CB the orange paper and added micro beads to the "fire". I also brushed the wicks with grey and black ink to make them look like they were burnt. The candles are from the $1 package at Wal-Mart but I had to cut them down so they weren't as tall as the dragon. Here's a close up of the candles and flames:

Digi Fever Rages On

Wow! Really loving these images and their affordability. I can't seem to stop...and neither can Maria! Here are a few more cards with digis and Copics:

Jackie's birthday card. The SECOND card because Gia and Bullet ripped up the first one. UGH. Those dogs get on my nerves sometimes. And, hers wasn't the only one they tore. They got into a few others as well. The digi is PI and I used micro beads on the cupcake to imitate sprinkles. The ovals are from Nestabilities. 

Kat's birthday card. Another PI. The sentiment is an Inkadinkado stamp.

Ralph's anniversary card. Thought I'd get a head start since it's the B-I-G 30! I am going to make a few leading up to the big day :) This image is Ellie the Elephant and she was free. Adorable! I CB the white piece and the sentiment is from the PTI jar set. This was also my first attempt at the dotted shading around an image. Of course, the balloons are stickled LOL.

This digi makes me want to take the open road! This will probably be a TY card but I haven't decided yet. Opted to go with a color combo I generally wouldn't choose. Kinda happy with the result. The medallion is from the Tim Holtz die. 

Last, this is Manny's 21st birthday card. I really wanted to use Super Boy from MFT so there is nothing digital here. The patterned paper is from the Image. And the banner is PTI.

Hayling and Alkie

Erica and I were off campus on Hayling's birthday and then when we came back we forgot so I made her a special card. She loved it!

CAC turtle
Cloud paper and background shape from the Imagine
Grass from Paper Dolls
CB background with Swiss Dots and shaded with an ink pad
Sentiment is computer generated
Glitter, googly eyes, tulle, pin, etc. from stash

Alike was promoted to detective and will no longer be our SRO. I made an 8x10 easel card for her with multiple cards inside everyone could sign. It's large because I want her to be able to display it on her desk It was given to her at a dinner in her honor held at Blanca's restaurant. She really loved it ~ especially the gun hidden under the crop pants. LOL I will miss seeing her everyday.

Girl: Forever Young
Police Car, handcuffs, gun: Paper Dolls
Kitchen Tools: Kate's Kitchen
Thank you: (ugh, forgot)
Heart: George (flood-filled w/I)
Baseball: Baseball
All patterned papers and embellishments from stash

Digi Discovery

Well, Maria has done it again. She introduced me to something I didn't think I'd ever be interested in (like when she showed me the Copics) and now I haven't slept in two days because I've been aimlessly wandering the web looking at digital images. Yikes. The possibilities are endless. And, to know you can buy cheap and download on the spot is well, in a word, invigorating! We spent Saturday together and played with her Spectrum Noir markers and some images. Here are a few cards:

This adorable digi girl is a Pinner!!! I made the card for Maria to thank her for her prayers. The sentiment is from an a la modes (MFT) stamp called, "Girl Talk" and is the set with the iphone. This was also my first attempt at coloring hair with shading. I really have to watch myself because I gravitate to red and teal. Or red and light blue. Or red and ... well, you get the idea. Red is my color!

Jackie's Easter card. I saw this hat on one of my cartridges and immediately thought of her on Easter morning. I also want to thank her for her prayers.

Sandy's birthday card. I knew I had to have that digi stamp when I saw the lips! LOL The banner and grass are from PTI and they cut beautifully. The little banner is also from PTI but the sentiment is from MFT's set of the Volkswagen Bug.

Mom's birthday card. The jar is a PTI stamp and I just filled it with buttons since she loves to sew and just LOVES buttons!

Mayito's birthday card. The image is from a set I got right before Michelle closed Cherry Blossom. The sentiment is from a Pink Stamper set. It's perfect! LOL

Another digi winner! This adorable little cookie fairy has stickled wings and is my first attempt at the dotted "shading" outside the image. It looks so much better in person and is really pretty. I made the card a 6x6 and layered a few Nesties with her. Oh, the inside of the sentiment (part of the digi set) says, "you can never have too many". Don't know who this will go to yet. Probably Erica.

Well, that's all for the Saturday with Maria. Tomorrow I will post a few more I am working on today.

CC Weekly Challenge #51: Valentine's Day Cards

This is Ralphie's Valentine's Day card and my submission into the CC Weekly Challenge.

The "balloon" is actually hearts from George that I printed on the Imagine using the Black & White cartridge on red paper. The basket is from Neighborhood Pop-Up and pop-dotted over the twine. In order to give the "balloon" more weight, I didn't print on both sides of the paper. Instead I printed five hearts and then glued them back-to-back. I used the hole puncher to create a little hole to run the baker's twine. The clouds (forgot the cartridge!!!) were cuttlebugged then stickled and one of them pop-dotted. The stamp is PaperTreyInk and the grass is a 12" border I had from K & Co. Ribbon from stash. Really need to learn photography. The colors are so much more vivid in real life and all my pics have washed-out colors. You can't even see the little gem bling I used as the dot on the "i" in kisses and which is part of the challenge or the shading on the grass.

Anyway, hope he likes it!!! Haven't decided on the inside sentiment yet but I'll probably go with something funny like, "Not really!" LOL

UPDATE: My card was selected as the Cricut Circle's "Project of the Day" on February 16 and 17. Woo hoo!!! Wish I could upload a screen shot here to show.

Anniversary Card: Mayito & Sandy

This Tuesday is Sandy and Mario's 31st wedding anniversary. YIKES. I still remember the day they were married. Holy moly we're getting old... LOL Well, thank God we have so many memories and with His grace and mercy we'll have many more. Here is the card I made them:

I used the Imagine Black & White cartridge to print out all the layers on plain blue cardstock. The hearts are from George and only the smallest is flood-filled. The two halves of the background are from the Imagine's built-in images and also flood-filled. I also cut out the largest heart on red paper for additional color effect. A few pearl swirls and a stamp on a pop-dotted banner and it was done! It's 5" x 5" and the stamp is from PaperTreyInk. 

CC February Monthly Challenge: Share the Love

The challenge this month over at the Cricut Circle Blog is to create a hand-made gift for a loved one using the Cricut machine(s). I used both my Imagine and Expression.

UPDATE 3/1/12: I won the challenge!!!

I made a few things. First, an adorable little chocolate holder for Elaine.

The box is from Cindy Loo and I folded down the top to make it look like a little ruffle. The strip behind the stamped image "Chocolate: it's not just for breakfast" as well as the "Sending Love Your Way" sign are from the Imagine. The hearts, both negative and positive, are from George. I embossed and inked one before attaching it to the pencil. I am going to put this on her desk early on Valentine's to surprise her!

Second, I made ribbon holders for Jackie, Maria, and Sandy. I brushed the tops of the clothespins with glossy accents then dipped them in glitter and wrapped different Valentine's ribbon around the body. I tied them into a bunch with tulle. The heart tags are also from George and I embossed the top one before inking. The initials are stickers from my stash. I know they will love them because they are card makers and now they have new ribbons to use!

Here's a pic of everything together: