Sugar and Spice

The Spice of Life is one of the July Challenges over at Heart 2 Heart.  I couldn't resist the Sugar and Spice in CTMH Artbooking for this challenge.  When I saw the sketch over at Stuck?! Sketches I knew I had a great combination for my page layout!

All of the cuts are from one of these three CTMH cartridges:
Art Philosophy
Artiste
Artbooking

The papers/card stocks are from CTMH with the patterned pieces coming from Dream Pop which was a special promotion last summer, I think.  I still had some pieces of paper and this seemed the perfect opportunity!  But don't fret; CTMH's new line will be revealed on August 1st and there are lots of new papers!  They are beautiful!!

CTMH Embellishments used on this page are Canvas Buttons, Ariana Bows, Hollyhock Zipper Lace, and Flamingo Dots.

Now the only thing left is to figure out which is sugar and which is spice?  Both can be sweet as can be, but they are both a little spicy at times!

Visit KatiesCorner for all your paper crafting needs, wants, desires, etc!

Christmas Cocoa Gift

Let me start this post saying how excited I am to be part of the Christmas in July Blog Hop with Exploring Cricut and More! If you have come from Tina's Blog "The Scrappin Rabbit" then you're at the right place!  I'm sure you found her project amazing!

Who doesn't love Hot Cocoa during the holidays?  Well I suppose there are those people who might prefer coffee or tea.  Of course, this works for any hot drink your recipient would enjoy!

I got the idea from this site:  http://laurenm.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/2008/09/09/1-papertrey-ink-countdown-cocoa-to-go/.  However, she cut everything by hand.  I decided it would be more fun and a time saver to put it all in the Cricut Design Space for the Cricut Explore Machine and cut it from there.   Here is the file if you are interested:  https://us.cricut.com/design#/canvas/project/19081838.

Scoring by hand

I did score it all by hand because I didn't know how to put them in yet!  I'm very new with the Explore machine and the Design Space; I've had mine a little over a week now!  I'll keep you posted how it is going!  

I cut my pieces and assembled the carrier.  Here are a few tips.  

Slight triangles cut at the score lines

#1.  After scoring the front panels, cut very slight triangles at the score lines as shown in the pic.  This will make it lay flatter on the bottom.

#2.   I like to use glue rather than tape for adhesion.  The glue gives me time to position it exactly where it needs to be.  I have more "wiggle room" with glue!

#3.  I have more success with heat embossing if I use Goodbye Static before I stamp my image.

Paper/Cardstock:  DCWV Farmer's Market, CTMH Daisy White, DCWV Latte Cardstock

Ink:  CTMH Cranberry Pigment Ink

Embellishments:  CTMH Gold Buttons (retired), CTMH Chocolate Canvas Ribbon (retired), CTMH Baker's Twine, Embossing Powder, Twine Flower

Stamp sets:  CTMH Very Merry Christmas (retired) and Scandinavian Wishes (retired).

Embossing Folder:  Cuttlebug

Cricut Cartridges:  CTMH Art Philosophy and Joys of the Season

Misc:  Quart size baggie for the cocoa and marshmallows, Dixie brand To Go cups, green paper filler was in a basket I received!

Here is a variation in the decor; it's still from the same cuts.  The cardstock is DCWV Rustic Stack. The snowman stamp is  CTMH Flakey Friends!

This project is also going off to Heart 2 Heart Challenge Some Like it Hot and Pile it On Embossing since I dry embossed the cup cut and heat embossed the Holiday Treat tag.  Craft Hoarders Anonymous theme is Who's the Boss?  On the Variation I heat embossed the gold.

Love these snowmen from CTMH!

Oh, here is the fun *blog candy opportunity provided by KatiesCorner!  If you leave me a comment about your favorite homemade holiday gift and sign up to follow my blog, you will be entered to win the new CTMH Idea Book released August 1st and a "Chocolate Affaire" stamp set!  Winner will be chosen August 4th by a random number generator.  The space to type in your e-mail to follow my blog is located on the left under the "About Me"!  *I can only send prizes to US addresses.

Now it's off to Michelle's Blog Cricut Crazy Scrapper for another wonderful idea!  If you get lost along the way, you can always find the list at Exploring Cricut as well as below!

Annette      www.mymindsdustbunnies.blogspot.com

Sharon       www.meemeescreations.blogspot.com

Faith          www.thecraftingprofessor.blogspot.com

Donna        www.wwwkindredreations.blogspot.com

Rae Ann     www.joyinart.blogspot.com

Emily          www.emilyqueenofallthingscrafty.blogspot.com

Michelle N  www.justanutterpapercrafter.blogspot.com

Christi         www.tidbitsoftexas.com

Liz              www.unikbyyes.blogspot.com

Tina           www.thescrappinrabbit.blogspot.com

Katrina      www.scrappyhorses.blogspot.com  (You are here!)

Michelle S www.cricutcrazyscrapper.blogspot.com

Diane        www.happyscrapperdiane.blogspot.com

It's all about the OWL!

 Owls are everywhere and this week they are especially at Bitten by the Bug 2!  As I was searching through a plethora of owl images, I found this one I had never used from Storybook.  The sentiment is from Hoot n Holler!  I have never really had much success cutting sentiments before, but I finally broke down and got an Explore.  Wow, it really does cut!  So far, I'm liking it.  There is a learning curve to the Design Space for me, but I'm getting there!

I chose my colors from the Color Dare at Color My Heart.  Since I was busy learning the new machine and all, I didn't get projects done last week.  So, I figured I'd get my project in early this week!  ; )  My little owl is also flying Up, Up, and Away to the challenge over at Heart 2 Heart.

I used Saddle, Daisy White, Slate, Cranberry, Topiary, Indian Corn Blue, and Honey card stocks and inks from CTMH.  I embossed with the CTMH Chevron Embossing Folder.

Stamping on the inside included these CTMH Stamp Sets:  Joyful Birthday, In the Background, and Whooo's Your Valentine?

The CTMH New Idea Book is released in less than a week!  If you are wanting any of the current paper packs, visit KatiesCorner and place your order before August 1.  After that, it's all new papers!  They are amazing!!

Red, White and............ Purple!

I love to make mini albums with Artbooking!  They make great little remembrance books for friends who have done something special.  My most wonderful riding buddy, and instigator of goofy ideas, is Ramona.  She is ALWAYS up for a challenge.  When our friend asked her to ride in a parade with Red Hats Purple Chaps, she was all over the idea!  I, on the other hand, am more comfortable in the arena or pasture!  So, I sat back and took the pictures.

This is the perfect mini album  for the following challenges:
Heart 2 Heart Scrapbook Challenge Red and White Daisy ~  I added Gypsy as my 3rd color!
Pile It On ~ Summer Fun

Of course, I had to include a lovely red hat from Old West Cartridge.  "Fab" is from CTMH Balloon Talk; script stamp is from CTMH Universal Backgrounds.  Glitter tape and gem embellish this page.  The feathers were in my stash, believe it or not!  haha

Chaps and vest are from Old West; Flower from Art Philosophy; page and background star frame from Artbooking.  Stamps are CTMH:  Genuine Country & Yeehaw.

All cuts from Artbooking.  Stamp is CTMH Genuine Country.  I added an Epoxy Bubble for the lens and a Marquee Heart!  (Please excuse the blurred faces.)  

Page cut from Artbooking.  Cowgirl Up is from Old West and the "fun" was cut Artiste and welded.

CTMH Purple Glitter Tape, Cranberry Ribbon Round, and Glitter numbers from Pixie Glitter Alphabet!   I also stitched in a loop of Baker's Twine and attached a Base and Bling Rhinestone Charm!  Every cowgirl loves bling!

What a great parade!  The RHPC ladies and their horses did such a great job!  Maybe someday I'll muster up the courage to ride through all the sirens, noise, and chaos!  But for now I'll take the pics and scrap about it for all my buddies!

If you need some great CTMH products, please visit KatiesCorner!  New Idea Book comes out in just a few days with lots of new products!  You only have a few days left to get your old favorite paper collections.

Everybody Has a Dream!

Everybody has a dream and I suppose horses are no exception!  We have this wonderful 21 year old hunter/jumper horse.  He came to us through some unusual circumstances, but I'll save that for a later time. Anyway, when he first arrived and our vet saw him, Doc B said, "Well, he'll never win any halter classes!  He's one of the ugliest horses I've seen in the Quarter Horse world!"  I explained we didn't bring him in to do halter; although, we usually do have that criteria when selecting horses.  

Thunder is a QH/Belgian Cross.  I'm sure they were breeding for the height and muscle of a Belgian with a mix of the hip, brain, and head of the QH.  However, the outcome was a short, front-heavy horse with huge feet and a Roman Nose!  Now here's the rub in all of this.  This horse THINKS he is a giant, gorgeous warmblood!  He struts around like he's the best looking guy around and loves to jump!  I hope he never sees himself in a mirror!

When we first got him, he was fast and didn't know the word whoa or how to back!  I got straight to work in slowing this fellow down and it paid off 10-fold!  He is now the best horse in my therapeutic riding program and my grand-girl rides him whenever she is here.  She loves him.  We all know what they say about a little girl's love for a horse!  She tells him all the time he is the most beautiful horse in the barn---he believes her!

Grand-girl, high school sweetheart, and the mighty Thunder!

When I saw the cut in Country Life, I thought about Thunder and what he must dream about in the pasture.  I'm sure he sees himself as a mythical creature that could fly through the air and do magic; and you know, in a way he does!  What he contributes to my program really is magical and he makes those kids feel like they are flying.  In his heart he is a unicorn!

CTMH Cardstocks:  Daisy White, Buttercup, Champagne, Saddle, and Colonial White

CTMH Inks:  Sky, Sweet Leaf, Barn Red, Slate, and Honey

Cartridges:  Country Life and Paper Dolls Everyday

CTMH Stamp Sets:  Unicorn Dreams and Love Life

CTMH Markers:  Sweet Leaf and Olive

Miscellaneous:  Fine Glitter, Embossing Ink, Silver Embossing powder, heat tool, dryer sheet and gold gel pen

If you are not familiar with the dryer sheet technique, you can check out one of these posts:  In The Barn with Red  or Grandma's Dove.  On this card I heat embossed the unicorn on the cloud before placing the dryer sheet over it!  It hit me after I went to the trouble of heat embossing, it would look more like a dream with the dryer sheet technique.  Such is the process of creativity!

All CTMH products are from Katiescorner!

Thunder is cantering off to these challenges:

Exploring Cricut and More  --  Anything Goes

Artbooking + Shy Stamps = FUN!

I was inspired by the colors over at Color My Heart to do something a little outside my box parameters.  Now, that's what a challenge is all about, right?  It gets us out of our zone and into a different style, color scheme, genre, etc.

I decided to break out some of those stamps collecting dust because I seem to really have favorites.  It's not that I don't like all my stamps,,,, it's just,,,,, well,,,,, some just seem to get out of the package more than others!  Some are invited to almost every occasion, while others wait in the drawers for a special invitation.  Ok, for lack of a better term, let's call them the 'shy stamps'!

If there are any psychologists out there who feel they should address my need to personify my stamps, please go ahead and do so now.  If not, I'll move on to the card!  ;)

I started with White Daisy cardstock.  I went to the stamp drawers and challenged myself to pull as many unused ones as possible and leave the fav's behind!  I was looking for circles and flowers.  Here's how it played out---

CTMH:  Balloon Talk (used new stamp)
              A Flowering Bunch (nothing new)
              Kudos (used new stamp & repeats)
              Remarkable Wreath (used a new stamp)
              You Are My Happy (1 new, 1 repeat)
              Whooo's your Valentine (new and repeat)
              Unicorn Dreams (repeat)

I went into CCR and cut an Artbooking background out of Dura-Lar.  This made a stencil for my first layer of ink.  Then, I actually inked up the stencil and pressed it around different places.  Then I stamped, stamped and stamped some more.  Finally, some of those stamps were out playing!

I used the sentiment from Balloon Talk and cut the matching "bubble" from Artiste.  I embellished with CTMH Ribbon (long retired!) and a flower made from CTMH Baker's Twine topped with an Opaque Gem from the Licorice collection (also retired).

In all seriousness, I really had fun with this card!  I've been working on a larger piece (soon to be revealed), and it was fun to make a card in an afternoon!  Who wouldn't have fun with these colors?

All CTMH from KatiesCorner.  Remember, time is dwindling to get your hands on any of the current CTMH papers!

Season Hopping!

A couple of weeks ago I posted a card with Flip-flops ~ very summery.  Last week I showed my American Cowboy in the fall, and now I'm moving into winter.  Whew, I'm glad the seasons don't cycle that quickly; although, sometimes in Indiana it feels like it does.

Actually, I've had this layout sitting in CCR for sometime and wasn't ready to put it with pictures until I found these pictures from 1993 of Katie and her daddy out on a snow day.  If I remember right, my son was just a few months old and Katie wanted to go to Gram's and play in the snow.  Daddy was probably wanting to get out of the house, also!

I was inspired by Scrap Our Stash Challenge where the challenge is Let's Go Shopping.  The idea is to shop the list of ingredients (from your stash, of course!) and use 5 of the items from that list!

Here is the shopping list:

Die cut, washi tape, paperclip, sequins

Transparency snowflakes, more sequins, die cut

Washi tape

Stars (3 or more)

Striped Paper (not lined)

Enamel Dots (3 or more)

Polaroid Frame

Buttons (3 or more)

Flag

Dimensional sticker

Paper Clip

Arrows (3 or more)

Wood Veneer

Journaling card

Sequins (3 or more)

Use (2) or more types of punches 

Die cut

Tags (2 or more)

Flair button

Rub On

Transparency

Flowers (3 or more)

Cork embellishment

I typed the items I chose to use in red.  The pink heart is a paperclip and the transparency (acetate alternative) was used as a stencil.  Then I used two of the snowflakes cut from the stencil on the right side of the page.  I coated them with white gesso and sprinkled them with glitter.

Now there's also fun to be had at 613 Avenue Create where it's an Anything Goes Challenge with an optional Create your own Challenge!

Column 1:  bling
Column 2:  die cut
Column 3:  solid color paper, stencil, dry and wet embossing
Column 4:  sequins and buttons
Column 5:  baker's twine

Cartridges:  CTMH Artbooking, CTMH Artiste, Speaking of Winter, and Nate's ABC's

CTMH Papers:  Slate, Dakota, Indian Corn Blue, Lollydoodle, White Daisy, Crystal Blue, Balloon Ride, and Cotton Candy

CTMH Inks: Cotton Candy, Slate, Crystal Blue, Pigmet White Daisy, Indian Corn Blue, Sky, and Homemade Glimmer Mist (CTMH Create a shade paint Pearl, water, Sky re-inker)

2 of the 3 buttons, wash tape, sequins, more die cuts

CTMH Embellishments:  Sequins, Blue Epoxy Bubbles, Licorice gems (retired), Washi Tapes, Durables studs, and Baker's Twine

Embossing folders:  CTMH Chevron and Cuttlebug Paisley

Stamps:  3Twenty Crafts Winter Wonderland

Other:  Buttons, Embossing powder, Heart paperclip, gesso, homemade texture paste (white paint, glue, powder, and water), stencil cut from Artbooking & Dura-Lar acetate alternative, and glitter

All CTMH from Katiescorner.ctmh.com

It's the last month to get all the current paper packs.  They all retire at the end of the month!  Like the seasons, they'll be changing very soon!

Red, White, and Blue ----Cowboy Style!

What's more American than the cowboy?  When we went to see world-renowned horseman Clinton Anderson from Australia, he shared how he dreamed he would one day be an American cowboy.  

Some of us grew up watching them gallop across the silver screen and others of us remember seeing them on TV.  We learned good ol' fashioned morals from Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.  We fantasized with The Lone Ranger, and we heard great philosophy from Will Rogers who started his career in a traveling Wild West Show.  One thing is for sure, when you're dealing with cowboys, the good guy always wins.  You can count on it!

Many of the challenges this week are American, so I'm choosing the American Cowboy as my theme.  I was inspired by the Americana/Rustic Colors from the Color My Heart Challenge.

I was reminded by Sarah Stone's project I have some of these papers!  So, I dug deep into my CTMH paper stash and found old papers I had been saving for the just the right project (and then forgotten about until this project)!  We won't mention that to my husband who always wonders why I NEED more paper - especially since the new Idea Book from CTMH goes live next month!!  Sorry, I have digressed, as I often do.  Back to the project.

Anyway, I don't even know the names of some of the papers, but I can tell you they all had CTMH stamped on them!  I think they are Sasparilla and Dakota.  I know the blue paisley paper and sticker elements are from the Dakota papers.  I am unsure of the paper with COWBOY on it.  The background is from CTMH Timberline.

The flowers were made from the Balloon Ride and inked with Barn Red.  The middle is a mocha gem.

My Cricut cuts are from CTMH Art Philosophy, Old West and Nate's ABC's.  All cuts were done with cereal boxes (various brands -- ;) ) and inked, stamped, sprayed, etc.  Ok, I lied, the barbed wire was cut from Barn Red CS and then sprayed and inked!  I didn't really lie, I just forgot I had done that one differently!  But I rectified!  Whew, I started this blog about American morals and then I go off and lie!  Gee Whiz!



I used CTMH Burlap Ribbon, CTMH Pewter brad, CTMH Pewter Badge, Mocha Gems, CTMH Brown and White Canvas Ribbon, CTMH Glitter Tape and Dakota stickers to embellish.  The piece under the "weeds" and flowers is a piece of ribbon/mesh that was on my table.  I sprayed it with my homemade CTMH Glimmer Mist and frayed it.  I have no idea of brand or what it really is!  I think I found it at Cracker Barrel during the holiday season!

Other colors include:  Archival Black, Chocolate, Slate, Pigment Bamboo, Pigment Chocolate.

CTMH Stamp sets include:  Distressed Backgrounds, Universal Backgrounds, In the Background.  I love Background stamps!!

My cowboy, who happens to be my son, is galloping off to these challenges:

Color My Heart - Barn Red, Pacifica, and  Crystal Blue
Fantabulous Cricut Challenge - Anything Goes
Exploring Cricut - Vacation ----- Because any day on a horse is vacation for a cowboy!
Bitten by the Bug 2 - Independence Day -- Who's more independent than the American Cowboy?
Pile it On - Outdoor Fun -- uh, outdoor and fun....... we usually don't bring the horses indoors...well unless it's an indoor arena or inside the barn! haha

All CTMH available from ScrappyHorses.ctmh.com!

The Holiday Plan?  We'll be going to watch my friend ride her horse in a parade with RHPC, parade hop to another town to see a beautiful young fair queen contestant ride in a car,  and then it's off to a horse show later in the weekend!  How about all of you?

Have a wonderful, safe 4th of July!