I'm a Guest Designer

It has been a VERY long week, but it has been a lot of fun. Between being off for spring break and all the holiday celebrating, it will be hard to get back into the swing of things. This week, however, I am so excited about my guest designing spot on Use It Tuesday! The Anything Goes challenge is definitely a a favorite of mine. At first I thought it would be fitting to create something that reflects who I am as a crafter and I think I hit it right on the head with this Glitter Panda shaker easel card. I have been holding on to this adorable panda stamp for quite some time and this seemed like the perfect chance. I dipped into my extensive stash of paper for this one and then used my pearls, glitter and ribbon too. I even created the flower using a punch instead of my go to Cricut cartridges. Then, I needed to make an Easter card for my mother-in-law and fell in love with that one! So, I decided to post the Easter card on Use it Tuesday and here it is:

There are a few techniques I want to explain with this one, so I will create another post to explain how I made it, but wanted to include it here today :)


Panda hugs!
J-
Glitter Panda

Check out my posts on how to create an easel card and my video on how to create a shaker card to learn the techniques I used here!

Thanks a Bunch

My daughter's Kindergarten teacher has been amazing! She is supportive, thoughtful and the kids absolutely adore her. So, you can imagine how sad I was when she explained at conferences, that Friday will be her last day. Her reasons for leaving are family related and absolutely justifiable. If I were in her shoes I would have to do exactly the same thing. This does not, however, take the sadness factor out of the equation. They have asked her to wait to tell the children, so there is this black cloud hanging over us, knowing that very soon, our daughter will be devastated! For all that she has done for my daughter this year, I wanted to make sure Bunny will give her a card that is super special.

So, I decided to experiment with my Art Philosophy cartridge and come up with something unique. Since getting the cartridge, I have been eying the little window card I used here. BUT I wanted to jazz it up a little more, so I decided to make a shaker card out of it! Using the same button for the card base, window and layer, I was able to come up with the perfect card. To put a finishing touch on it, I also added one of the fabulous rosettes I made for my tutorial video. You can find that video here.

As an extra bonus, I am including a second shaker card here and a tutorial on how you can create it too! It doesn't use the Cricut, so it could be recreated by any crafter, even a Cricut-less crafter! I hope you enjoy it!

Panda Hugs!
-J
Glitter Panda

 Thank you card Recipe:

Card Base

Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge p. 43 - Square3 - cut at 5" on card button (Red card stock)

Square 3 - cut at 4 1/2" (Yellow card stock)

Square 3 - cut at 3 1/2" - on card/shift button - cut this card in half on score line 

(My Mind's Eye - Love Nest Stack)

I sponged ink around the edges of the red and yellow card stock to distress

Shaker component (see shaker card tutorial for instructions)

Add piece of acetate smaller than window - use CTMH liquid glass to secure

Create a well for the glitter using foam mounting tape or the edges of dimensional strips

Stamp piece of 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" card stock with image - I used Lagoon Ink and

"Thanks a Bunch" from CTMH My Acrylix Sentiments collection

Filled with pink glitter

Assemble and embellish

I attached the yellow square to the red card base using dimensionals

Added the shaker component to the yellow card stock using another layer of dimensionals

Added the red rosette (See technique in video here) - 

placed a jewel down in the center of rosette using liquid glass

I am linking this post to Sundays are Lovely with Jaihart # 7

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!)

Springtime Shaker Card

 We had another fabulous weekend! My daughter has been sick for almost a week, so it was very nice to have her feeling better today.  We decided to take a drive with no destination and see where it took us. We ended up going from park to park where the kids were able to play for a little while at each playground. They had a great time and we enjoyed watching them have fun!  This morning, I was looking through some of my favorite blogs and saw a few challenges that caught my attention. I just bought some new paper stacks and was ready to try something new. Although I have done a shaker snowglobe, I really wanted to try a regular shaker card. So, today was the day I decided to do it. Also, I have been interested in the digital stamp option for a while, but never quite got to it. This morning I bought some Prismacolor pencils and downloaded my first few digital stamps.This card takes both digital stamping and the shaker card and blends them into (in my opinion) one of the best cards I have ever created! The recipe is a little complicated, but definitely worth it!

I uploaded a video to show you how the card looks when you shake the glitter!! Check it out here.

P.S. come back tomorrow for some amazing news I have to share!!

Panda Hugs!
J-

Recipe

Card base

1. Recollections lavender card stock - cut a piece of 12" x 12" card stock down to 12" x 6" and scored at 6" to make the card. I used my bone folder to get a nice crease.

2. Cut a piece of card stock from the S.E.I. Couture Pad to 5 1/2" x 5 1/2"

3. Added another piece of the same lavender card stock cut to 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" - before adhering it with monoadhesive, I added a piece of stretch lace ribbon and folded it around the back. I secured it with scotch tape in the back since you can't see it under the layer.

4. I topped off the card with a top layer cut to 4" x 4" from the DCWV Mariposa Matstack

Embellishments

Tilly on the Mushroom
The stamped image is from Digital Doodling. I was sad to see that she is no longer blogging, but she was kind enough to leave the blog up for the benefit of those looking for some pretty free digital stamps.  I printed her on white card stock, colored her with my new Prismacolor pencils and then used an exacto knife to cut the entire image out. I added a tiny Recollections pearl to her shirt and then pop dotted in the center of the green Mariposa cardstock.

Frame and Mushrooms

I cut the frame at 4 1/2" using <Frame1> from the Cricut Cindy Loo cartridge. I cut the base out in dark purple and the shift in yellow. I added Recollections pearls to the frame for a more elegant look. I also added two Recollections iridescent sparkly brads to the frame where the holes were cut out on both sides. I used the dimensionals to keep the end of the brad in place. The mushrooms are cut at 1 and 1 1/2" using <Mushroom> on p.63 of Cindy Loo. I cut the base in dark purple, the shift in a duskier purple, layer 1 in olive and layer 2 in yellow. Then I added purple Stickles to the spots on the mushrooms for a little sparkle.

Shaker Function

To create the shaker, I adhered both layers of the frame together, and then added a piece of transparency paper behind it. I use Elmers quick dry adhesive for it. That works much better for this type of gluing. For the transparency component, I used the clear paper that comes with the Cricut cutting mats. I save the paper when I throw away an old mat and then it can be used for future projects. Below is a picture of the frame with the transparency paper drying behind it.

After that was dry, I added another piece of 4 x 4 Mariposa paper to the back of it. Before adding it, I used an Exacto knife to cut out the center so you can still see through it. Then, I went around the entire frame using square dimensionals. Be careful to make sure they touch one another entirely, or you will have glitter leaking out all over the place! Below is a picture of the frame, the extra paper and the dimensionals.

Dimensional wall keeps the glitter from escaping

Once the top was done, I poured a little bit of Studio G yellow glitter on Tilly and the mushroom. and then added the frame piece over it.

Added the glitter right before I put the frame over Tilly

Sentiment and final touches
 I thought about leaving the sentiment off the card, but decided I could use something little. I used the silver Ink It Up Stamp Pad and used a tiny stamp that says "merci" to turn this into a thank you.  Finally, I added the little jewels to the top right at the end and then added the two Cindy Loo mushrooms to the bottom left for a finishing touch.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #99 - Fancy Trims (lace, pearls, jewels and glitter brads!)
Sentimental Sundays Challenge # 91 - Lace and Pearls
Shopping our Stash Challenge #40 - Inspiration Prompt (flowers and the colors purple and yellow) 
The Cuttlebug Spot - Spring is in the air Challenge

I am linking this post to the following link parties:

Positively Splendid - Saturday Seven Party (No. 16)
Craft Junkie Too - T.G.I.F Linky Party

Family Snow Globe Shaker

 
Today was such a fantastic day. I am on a three day weekend from school, so I have more time to craft! The kids both have school projects that are due soon and we spent the day working on them. After checking out the Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue blog hop over at Cooking with Cricut, I decided to use the idea as inspiration for my daughter's family snow globe project! It turned out to be a complete success!! I wish the picture was as cute as the final project in person, but I think you can get the idea. Please excuse the little black squares, I REALLY wanted to share the project, but I don't like to post pics of my kids on the internet.

I also removed our family name (I had my daughter write it in crayon to feature her fantastic Kindergarten writing skills!) It is in the middle of the frame on the bottom on the finished globe. I know the recipe is a little complicated, but the final project is so much fun that I hope you'll think it's worth it!

(Complicated) Recipe

Snowglobe:

Base - Cricut Doodlecharms cartridge - 10" - on blackout - blue paper

Top of globe - shift cut on blackout - 10" - white paper

Clear snow globe effect - shift cut on blackout - 10" - acetate patterned paper from K & Company Cara Marie pad

Gold border (used to hide the dimensionals creating the barrier for snow/glitter - same as top of snowglobe - shift cut on blackout - 10" - then cut again at 8 1/2" using center point feature OR use the Gypsy to place one inside the other and cut

Snow on bottom - cotton balls

Sky background - My daughter's artwork!

Snow/shimmer - Studio G iridescent glitter

Used Elmer's craft bond (needed liquid glue) to attach acetate to gold border

Used Square dimensionals to create a border around the entire white globe top to make sure the glitter wouldn't escape - do NOT remove paper from dimensionals until AFTER glitter is poured in

People:

Bodies - Cricut Everyday Paper Dolls Cartridge basic doll image - 2 1/2 for kids & 2 3/4 for adults

Clothing - Girls  - WintrG & WintrB on pg. 36 & 37

Frame for our family name on the front:

Cricut Sentimentals cartridge - Frame2 - white paper - 4 1/2"

Gold overlay - Frame2 - shift cut - gold shimmer paper (Recollections)

I am entering this project into the following challenges:
Little Scrap Pieces - Anything Goes Challenge 
The Cuttlebug Spot - Winter Time Challenge - texture = cotton balls used for snow