Teachers...and Easter

I am so excited to be on SPRING BREAK! 

Even though I love my job as a teacher, I always feel like the little break we get, at this time of year, allows us to stay fresh and enthusiastic for our students.  Teachers, not unlike many other professions, always have to be "on."  Whether we are having a bad day, just received awful news or simply are not feeling "well," we can not let these emotions or feelings interfere with our classrooms. From 8:00 - 3:00, every day, we put on our smiley faces and let the kids know that there is a friendly ear waiting to hear all that interests them, a patient person to help them deal with all that troubles them, and a knowledgeable guide to point them in the direction of any assistance that they need. 

So, it is understandable that since we have to keep smiling, even in the face of difficult situations, we have the occasional need for a moment to ourselves. One to enjoy our families, take care of our health problems and just re-energize for the rest of the year. Spring break is a wonderful time to do this. Not only because it comes after a long period without a break from school, but also because it is a time to celebrate the spring holidays, like Easter and Passover.

Although we do not celebrate it personally, we always participate in the Easter activities in our community. The revelry of the Easter bunny and Easter egg hunts have become family, rather than religious activities. Today, we have our 2nd Annual Easter Egg Hunt Block Party. All of the children on the block get together to hunt for eggs, win prizes and eat the awesome food made by the wonderful parents on our block! To celebrate the occasion, I made this VERY simple Easter card. I hope you enjoy it!

Panda Hugs!
J-
Glitter Panda

Recipe:

Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge (from Close to my Heart) - Cut the egg card base Shape9 on card button (pg. 57) at 5" - you can use any patterned paper for this - I used a very tie-dye looking paper from my SEI Couture Stack

Cut the Shape9 on decorative layer button (pg. 57) at 5" - This looks better with a solid color that you pick from the patterned paper - I added this layer using dimensionals to give it a layered look

The stamp was a $1 craft store find from Studio G

Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! If you are celebrating, I hope your day is full of fun and excitement!! We're going green here to celebrate. Although the holiday is today, my card was actually ready last week and is now finding its home in IRELAND! I knew I was going to make a card to celebrate my Year of Holiday Cards, and always love when I have a fabulous use for my cards. This one was great because I sent it to my brother-in-law's family in Ireland!!

I don't have the recipe for this one because I had to make it in a hurry, but you can find the recipe for my easel cards here. I used the shaker card process as well for the top layer. This was nice and easy because I used tiny shamrock die cuts from the Cricut Designer's Calendar cartridge inside (all shamrocks on the card, including the cutout are the same cut at different sizes), so the foam tape could have small gaps without the filling falling out. For embellishment on the top card, I hand stitched the card with my white gel pen, and added green Recollections crystals. On the bottom card, I added rainbow ribbon with green glitter ribbon over it (both are taped down under the layer), and stamped it with my Studio G stamp that has a horseshoe with the words Luck O' the Irish all the way around.

Panda Hugs!
-J

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Sentimental Sundays Challenge #93 - Go Green or RECYCLE!

Simon Says Stamp - A Bit O' Green

Use it Tuesday Challenge #27 - Green! - (used my go to Recollections paper, my crystals from my stash, and Offray rainbow ribbon I have had for 100 years!)

Feelin' Like a Diva

 Today was a spectacular day. The sun was shining, it reached 70 degrees and a hint of Spring hung in the air. It was one of those days, for me, when I just feel like a diva. I found myself walking around a local outdoor shopping center with a little more "spring" in my step. With my flowy dress, fab Gucci sunglasses (I splurge because they're prescription) and high heeled boots, I felt like a movie star! I went shopping and it was ALSO one of those days where I loved everything I tried on!

Thinking about my mood, I am convinced that is the combination of the two holidays today that did the trick. The first is Purim, a Jewish celebratory holiday that celebrates freedom from destruction for the Jews in ancient Persia.  It is a day of feasting and partying and is often celebrated by dressing up in costume and giving charity to those less fortunate (kind of the opposite of Halloween, you dress up and leave charity at the door - the costume ensures that you remain anonymous). The heroine of the Purim story is Queen Esther. Esther was only allowed to see her husband, the king when he summoned her. The punishment for disobeying this command was death. However, she went against to decree in order to appeal to her husband King Ahasuerus. She asked him to spare the Jewish people from the plan an evil man named Haman had to persecute them. Her success saved the Jewish people, and for that, she is considered a brave, heroic woman. That brings me to the second holiday of the day, International Women's Day.

According to the International Women's Day Website, "International Women's Day has been observed since in the early 1900's, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies...IWD is now an official holiday in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers." Hmmm...why haven't the men here caught on?!

So, in honor of these two holidays, I created a card in honor of Queen Esther, a brave, heroic historical figure who just happens to be honored on the same day as a holiday that celebrates women as a community! I made another easel card, but this time I used my Cricut Once Upon a Princess cartridge and some more of that fab SEI Couture stack too!

Hope you enjoyed my little "lesson" of the day, and the card. Happy crafting!
Panda Hugs!
J-
Glitter Panda

Fishing you a Happy Birthday!

Yesterday morning, I came downstairs to find my almost 9 year old, Cubby, watching TV. I am slightly embarrassed to say that he is usually indulging in a Spongebob episode that he has already seen 1000 times. Yesterday, however, he was watching Sports Center! I don't know why, but the idea of my baby watching sports on TV made me exceptionally emotional. I know it seems silly, but they REALLY do grow up quickly.

If you follow my blog (or stop by from time to time) you probably remember my friend who inspired me to begin my "Year of Holiday Cards" project. Well, her birthday is tomorrow and I felt it only appropriate to make he something special to celebrate. I decided that she would be the recipient of my very first easel card. With the help of an online tutorial by Splitcoaststampers, I was able to complete my task!! Thanks to them for the easy to follow instructions! I don't have a stamp that works with a fishy birthday card, so I came up with "Fishing" You a Happy Birthday! I printed it out from my computer and cut it out with my Recollections scallop punch. I thought it looked lonely as one layer, so I added two more scallops behind it in a staggered arrangement, and that also served to let the easel card rest against it.

Panda Hugs!
J-

Recipe

Easel Card Base

Piece of plain purple Recollections card stock 4 1/4" x 8 1/2" - score at 4 1/4" and 6 3/8"

Fold in half and then fold the small section in the opposite direction

With the small section up, add adhesive and attach a 4 1/4" x 4/14" card from the top of the section

 

The video from Splitcoaststampers helped me to understand exactly what to do, so definitely check it out! 

Top card

I cut the frame for this card from the SEI Crafts Couture stack at 4 1/4" and used the same cut I did for my Shadow Box Card.  The fishbowl and fish are both from the Cricut Create a Critter cartridge. <Fishbowl> is the shift cut and I set it to 2" and used layers 1, 2 and 3 on the shift as well. <Fish> is cut at 1" and it is the regular cut. I used layers 1-3 for this as well. I added Stickles to the middle of the fish to make it stand out. The sand layer for the bowl was cut with the the glitter paper in the Mariposa mat stack. After I assembled the bowl, I added the fish with a pop up glue dot and then the bowl was added to the card with pop up glue dots as well. I added 2 sizes of light green Recollections crystals to look like bubbles coming out of the fish's mouth. Finally, I added three Recollections pearls to the card for an extra touch.

Bottom card

I added a white square cut at 4" x 4" and a lavender on top cut to 3 3/4". After I added the white, I taped a piece of Offray 7/8" Sunburst Rainbow ribbon to the lavender piece and taped it with Scotch tape under the piece. Then I used adhesive to place it on top. I added the 3 scallop sentiment on top of it using dimensionals.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Getting Cricky with K Andrews - Argh Matey! Use a Pirate or Fish
Birthday Sundaes Challenge #46 - Birthday Card with Sentiment
For Your Inspiration Challenge #25 - inspired by the water and the round domes on the buildings

Fabulous Shadowbox Card

I had a few moments to myself today and wanted to enter a few contests, so here is a cute idea I have been working on. I call it a shadowbox card because the frame is raised to make the card components look like they are inside a shadowbox. I used the sentiment, "Fabulous" because being told I am fabulous will ALWAYS make me smile!! Hope you like it!

Panda Hugs!
J-

Recipe

Card base

I cut a piece of purple Recollections card stock to 5" x 10" and scored at 5" to make the fold.

Frame 

I used a pretty paper from the SEI Crafts Couture pad and cut the frame shape from the Cricut Classic Font cartridge <Waytogo1> p. 72 on the italic function with shift selected. This gives you the entire frame in one cut. I cut on Real Dial Size at 5" to make sure it fit the card base perfectly.  I added all of the components first and then added 2 layers of square dimensionals to the back of the frame corners. I doubled them so the frame was raised even higher and then added it on top of the card base at the end.

Woman, shoe and sentiment 

Woman - Cricut Forever Young cartridge <Model6> p.29 cut at 3". I used the regular cut and the shift cut (twice to get the dress and purse in different colors). I added green Studio G glitter glue to the little purse.

Shoe - Cricut Forever Young cartridge <Heels1> p.54 cut at 3" on regular and shift cut. I only used 1 of the two that cut.

Sentiment - I cut the two bases for the sentiment from the same button as the woman, <model6> on the emblem function at 2" and 1 3/4".  The word fabulous is cut from <Flower7> on page 70 on the word function. Then, I added each base with pop dots in between and then added light blue Stickles to the word fabulous.

Finishing Touches

I added a tiny Recollections pearl to the dress and green Recollections crystal to the patterned strip for some bling - they come sticky so you don't need to add adhesive. For the shoe, I added a purple jewel from a set my son found in a crafting kit in the house and then layered a small green jewel on top of it for dimension. I added monoadhesive to the back of the jewel and it was perfect to stick on the high heel. Finally, I added 3 tiny pearls under the word fabulous....for emphasis!

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #100 - Color Challenge (I chose the colors & sentiment just for this one!)
Party Time Tuesdays Challenge #57 - Anything Goes
Sentimental Sundays Challenge #92 - Words of encouragement 

You're Boot-iful

Since I already posted today, this one is super quick. I am obsessed with my new SEI Couture stack paper!! This is my latest card.

Panda Hugs!
J-

Recipe

Card Base

1. Cut a piece of lavender Recollections card stock to 10" x 5" and scored at 5"

2. Cut a piece of dark purple Recollections card stock to 4" x 4" and ran it through the cuttlebug

3. Cut a strip of bright green paper to 1" x 5" and used blue Offray 1/8" ribbon (taped it behind the strip)

4. I added the green strip to the lavender base and then adhered the dark purple on top of it

Boots

I used the SEI Crafts Couture stack and the Cricut Create a Critter cartridge p. 31 <Duck> cut at 18" on the accessories function.  I tied a piece of white Offray 1/8" ribbon to each to look like laces.  Finally, I added bigger clear jewels across the top and Recollections green jewels down the toes

Sentiment

Used my computer and typed out "You're Boot-iful" - printed it on bright green card stock and then punched it out with my Recollections scallop punch. I cut two more scallop punches in lavender and yellow and added them together (staggered) with dimensionals. Finally, I cut off the bottom of the sentiment scallop so it lines up with the edge of the right boot.

I am entering this card into the following challenge:

Bitten by the Bug 2 - Nate's ABCs/Boots