Followers, Guestbook, & Comments

My followers are being shown in the right column. My Guestbook is at the bottom. Please follow, comment on posts, & sign my guest book. Your comments encourage me to keep sharing my work. I love hearing from you all.

When you leave a comment, I have to moderate it before it will be posted. So if you have a questions or comments, feel free to ask & if necessary note that you don't want your comment posted.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Another "A" for Alyssa

Ok so my friend that wanted the A for her niece Alyssa asked me to make another one. Alyssa's grandmother loved it & wants one for the picture wall where she has all of Alyssa's pictures hanging. What a great idea. So here is Alyssa's extra A.
Details:
I used my Gypsy & Cricut to decorate this letter.
Cartridges Used: A Child's Year (Fairy), Gypsy Wanderings (Butterfly - bottom), Graphically Speaking (Butterfly - top), Ashlyn's Alphabet (Name), Accent Essentials & George & Basic Shapes (Mini Faux Prima Roses)
Homemade glitter glue for swirls & accents on cuts.
Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

Tyler "T"

A friend requested this letter for her nephew.  I will be very interested in his response to getting this as a gift.  I know young boys would probably like these letters, but this is for a sophomore in High School.  He plays baseball at the playground and is into bowling.  I did his name in his school colors.
Details:
I used my Gypsy & Cricut to design & decorate this letter.
Cartridges used:  Sports Mania (Glove, Bats, & Baseball), Paper Doll Dress Up & George & Basic Shapes (Bowling Ball & Pins)  The pins are actually the caveman's club.  I just stretched it a bit & added a rectangle for the stripe.
Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

Wedding Card by Sketch

This card is playing double duty. It was made for 2 challenges. The Sketch Challenge is for Papertake Weekly and the Wedding Card Challenge is for Cricut Cardz. I had fun making this card.
Wedding Solutions Cricut cartridge was used. I sprayed the bells with some silver glitter.
Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

Spots & Dots

This card was made for Momo's Spots & Dots Challenge.  As soon as I saw the topic for this challenge I knew that this was the paper that I had to use.  Then I found these great balloons.  So a Happy Birthday card was born.
Details:
I used my Gypsy & Cricut to design & create this card.
Cartridges:  Fabulous Finds (Bookplate), & Celebrations (Balloons)
Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

Embossed Tag

I made this tag for the Embossed Tags Challenge at the Cuttlebug Spot.
Details:
Cartridges Used:  Tags, Bags, Boxes & More (Tag), Celebrations (Gift), George & Basic Shapes & Accent Essentials (Mini Faux Prima Roses)
Cuttlebug using Fiskars Texture Plates (Lace)
Heat embossed the gift using UTEE.
Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

Flower Tag

I made this tag for Practical Scrappers Flower Challenge. I didn't have time to post it in time for the deadline, cut I still wanted to show it.
I cut the tag from the Tags, Bags, Boxes & More Cartridge. I cut it twice for a little extra stability. I also add the back layer to my tags after all of the inking, edging, & decorating is done for a cleaner look on the back of the tag. I used a stamp set (Love) that I picked up at Wal-Mart & stamped it with acrylic paint, the same paint that I used to edge the tag. I used another stamp set for the flowered background & stamped it with distress ink. I built the flower with bridal flower petals, painted them w/ acrylic paint & homemade glimmer mist. Then I added other misc. flower pieces that I also used homemade glimmer mist on. I made a hat pin & added that to the flower. Added fiber & ta da!!

Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Sailboat Card

I made this card for Challenge #15 Summer time At The Beach over at Fantabulous Cricut.  The challenge was to make any project of something you would find at the beach.  When I started this card, I really didn't know where I was going with it. It started out with just a blue background with a white edge (the card base).  Then I decided to wet the blue cardstock & crumple it up.  I liked it, but it still wasn't quite right.  So them I inked the wrinkled paper with vintage photo distress ink.  I just didn't like the white anymore.  It still just didn't feel right.  So I ripped the blue cardstock & thought "Hey, this could be the sky & water."  But I still didn't like the white background so I inked the card base with vintage photo too.  I then glued the blue pieces down.  This is where the sun & sailboat come in.  I cut, inked, & assembled them.  I edged around the card base with white acrylic paint (in a dauber bottle).  Then added some of the white acrylic paint to the sky & water.  I also added some pool blue acrylic paint to the water.
I used my Gypsy & Cricut to design & create this card.
Cartridges used: Life Is A Beach (Sailboat) & Create A Critter (Sun)
Sorry this was so long. I just thought I would take you along for the ride of my thought process for this card.  It was super fun to figure it all out.
Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

4th of July Card

This is my first 4th of July card.  It's fairly simple, but I had a lot of fun making it.  I got back to faux stitching & doodle dots.  It's funny how the simplest things add to a card.  And I always forget about doing it.  I made this card for Tracy's "1st Week of Summer Challenge" over at CJ Too.  The challenge was to make any type of project that represented summer.  So, to me not much more says "Summer" than the 4th of July.  Hop on over to add your project or to see everyone else's projects.
I used my Gypsy and my Cricut to design & create this card.
Cartridges used are:  Independence Day (Banner) and Stand and Salute (Fireworks & Frame)
I added some faux stitching and doodle dots with a white gel pen.  I also used a blue glitter gel pen to add some sparkle to the fireworks (in the pic it just looks white - but it is blue glitter gel)
Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

Monday, June 21, 2010

Redfish Glass Etching

Ok, so this has been in the works since December.  My dad asked if there was a way to etch a redfish.  I told him that I would have to get the program and find a picture in order to be able to do it.  Well, he bought me the program.  I found a great picture.  Then had to figure out how to convert the picture and make it cuttable.  It took a little while, but I got it done.  I cut it out of plain white cardstock & thought it looked pretty good.  I knew there would be so much weeding of very tiny pieces that I kept putting it off to attempt the etching.
I used SCAL and my Cricut to design & create this project.
Here is the picture that I found on-line.
Here is the cutout from cardstock:
So now, we are on to Father's Day:  I decided on Friday night that I would work on this Saturday morning.  Well Saturday morning turned into 10 hours of trying to get this right.  First, I thought I had the file the correct size for a 8.5 x 11 piece of glass.  It was not, it was too big.  So I resized it, cut it, & placed it on the glass, but it still didn't look right.  I needed to add a shadow to it to give the shape of the fish - w/o having to etch all of the glass.  Now, mind you, my computer is ancient & takes forever on it's own, so working with this file is what took up so much of the time.  So then after 3 more tries (placing issued mostly) I finally got it right!!
So here is the final product:  And he absolutely LOVED it!!!!!!  Now he wants me to make another one.  At least now, I don't think it would take so long.

Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

Father's Day Card 2010

Since we are in Louisiana, given what is going on here with our wildlife, and the fact that my dad has been taking some great pics of pelicans....  This card seemed fitting.  I had fun making it and had no doubt that he would like it.  He always likes the projects that I make.  But, I usually get comments like, "That's neat." or "It turned out good, but..."  Not this time!  This time, his reaction was a very excited, "Wow, I like this!!! I'm going to have to frame this!!"  I could not believe it.  And this was just his card - he had not even opened up his present yet.  HERE is the post about his present.

I used my Gypsy & Cricut to design & create this card.
Front:
 Inside:
The cartridges used were:
Sports Mania (Frame), George & Basic Shapes (Background Piece), Life Is A Beach (Pelican & Piling), Designer's Calendar (Sentiment)
Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Wall Letter - J for Julia

OK, so here is another one.  My friends are keeping me busy.  That's ok, because I love making these.  One of my very good friends wanted this one for her niece.  She liked the last "A" (Alyssa) that I made & Julia's room is dark pink.  Julia also takes Taekwondo.  So here is her letter; pink, butterfly, flower, glitter, & Taekwondo.  I like the style of each letter to represent the person it is for in some way, so that they know it was made just for them.  I also (even for the very young children) don't want them to outgrow the style of the design.  So that if I make a letter for a young child, I would like to think that they would still want to hang it when they are teenagers.
I used my Gypsy and Cricut to design & create this letter.
Cartridges used:  Sports Mania (Martial Arts Figure), Storybook (Name), Everyday Paper Dolls (Butterfly), Walk In My Garden (Scrunch Flower & Leaves), Accent Essentials and George & Basic Shapes (Mini Roses)
I used large bubble bubble wrap to make the background on the letter.  I then made some glitter glue (MS glitter & glossy Mod Podge) and painted some accents in the spots.  I coated the butterfly with Triple Thick & added Diamond Dust the the body of the butterfly.  I made the scrunch flower & painted each layer with home made glimmer mist before assembling and added a rhinestone to the center.  I made the Faux Mini Prima Roses, added a glass pearl to the centered, & clustered them at the bottom of the letter.  The name didn't show well so I made a background for it with some wavy decorative scissors & inked the edges.  I wanted the Martial Arts Figure to stand out, so I placed it prominently at the top of the "J" hook.
Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

Monday, June 14, 2010

Wall Letters - Jenna & Alyssa

My best friend from high school had seen some of my wall letters & called to see if I could make some for her. She wanted to give them to her nieces for their birthdays.
I used my Gypsy and Cricut to design & create these letters.
Jenna is 5 years old, likes animals and the color blue. This is the letter that I designed for her.
The cartridges I used to make Jenna's letter are: Cuttin' Up (Name), Create A Critter (Poodle, Bird, & Monkey w/ Vine), & Animal Kingdom (Cat). I pop-dotted the wing on the bird & the head on the cat to give some dimension. As always I inked the cuts for some dimension & design.
Alyssa is 4years old and likes pink and butterflies.
I used my Gypsy and Cricut to design & create these letters.
The cartridges I used to make Alyssa's letter are: Ashlyn's Alphabet (Name), A Child's Year (Fairy), Designer's Calendar (Butterfly - I cut it out 4 times, cut the pieces apart, colored them all, & pieced them all together with their different layers.), George & Basic Shapes and Accent Essentials (Paper Roses - HERE is my post about them.) I made a template for the flourishes on the base of the letter, but I can't remember which cart they came from. I used it as a stencil, drew on the flourishes, made my own glitter glue and painted over my markings with the glitter glue.

Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

Wall Letters - Meagan & Natalie

I made these letters quite a while back.  A friend of mine wanted them for her daughters birthdays.  I had to wait until they received them to be able to post.  Then time got away from me, but there they are.
I used my Gypsy, SCAL, & Cricut to design and create these letters.

Natalie likes swimming, acting, music, & loves writing stories.  Her room is a dark aqua color.  So this is the letter that represents her.
The cartridges that I used for Natalie's letter are:  Tear Drop (Name), Sports Mania (Swimmer), Locker Talk (Paper, Comedy/Tragedy Masks, & Music Plaque), & Stretch Your Imagination (Music Notes)

Meagan is all about high school right now.  She is going to be a freshman this coming school year.  Therefore we have the school mascot (Go Yellow Jackets!!!! - My son is in school with Meagan- LOL) & the "H".  She is on the dance team and softball team.  Her room is a very dark purple.  This is why we have the purple letter with all of the black & gold school themed cuts.
The mascot was done using SCAL.  I want to throw out a HUGE THANK YOU to Aymee @ A Southernbelle's SVG's.  I was having the hardest time making a file for the mascot & she did it and did it quick.  So Thank You Aymee!!!!!  You can visit her blog to get that file if you need it for anything.
The cartridges that I used on this letter are:  Gypsy Font (Name), Beyond Birthdays (Girl - that I converted to a dancer), Locker Talk (Dance Sign), Plantin Schoolbook (H), & Sports Mania (Softball).
Oh, BTW - They Loved Them!!!!
Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

Paper Doll to Embellish Giftbags

I made these for a friend of mine to embellish the gift bags for some little dancers that we know.  Her daughter & 3 of her daughter's cousins just had their dance review.
I used my Gypsy and Cricut to design & cut these precious little girls.  I cut everything for the dolls at 4".
I used Paper Doll Dress Up Cart, Glitter Gel Pens, Markers, Chalks, Ink Pads for edging, & Peachy Keen Stamps for the faces.
Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

Dancer Card

This card is for a very special litter dancer in our lives.  Fallyn you did a wonderful job out there.  Especially with all the attitude in your jazz number.  It was just precious!!!!!
I used my Gypsy and Cricut to design & create this card.
The carts that I used are:  A Child's Year (dancer)
                                       George & Basic Shapes (background) or it could just be cut w/ a paper trimmer
                                       Sports Mania (frame)
I pop-dotted the frame w/ dancer welded on to it to the background.  Then pop-dotted the dancer layer onto the welded dancer.  I also inked around the layered dancer.
I will update this post with the .gypsy file as soon as I can get it downloaded.
Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

Graduation Card

This card is for my niece. She just graduated high school & we are so proud of her. This card is also being entered into Momo's Tuesday Challenge.

I used my Gypsy along with my Cricut to design & create this card.
The carts that I used are: Locker Talk (grad cap)
Sports Mania (frame)
Cuttin' Up (letters welded)
Sorry the pic is so blurry. Sometimes the camera works fine & other times this is what I get.
I will update this post with the .gypsy file as soon as I can download it.

Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Roses Using Kathy Orta's Video Tutorial

As promised from my Swap Post, here are the close ups of the flowers that I made.  You can see how to do these HERE.  Thank you so much Kathy ( Paper Phenomenon & YouTube) for sharing your techniques with us.  I personally have bought Prima flowers, but I have not used the mini roses.  Using your technique it is so easy & fun to make them.  Also, like you said, you always have the color (and size - in my case) that you need.  The paper that I used was actually manila folders.
 
 
And here are the projects (again - for those of you that saw my swap post).
Sign:
 Tag:

Thanks for looking. Questions & comments are always welcomed. Lori