Camp Survival Kit and a challenge

First off I want to say thank you all to those who have bore with me and these awful cell phone pics.  My new camera came today so this will be the last post you will have to endure with bad pics.

It is time for a new challenge at Papercraft Star and I sure love participating in these.  I saw this sketch and wanted to do a card for my son who is leaving next week for his very first sleepaway camp.  So I went digging through my mat stacks because I have been on a mission to use up some paper from my stash and this pile seems to be the most neglected.

I found this paper from the Grade School stack by Die Cuts With a View that was perfect.  I topped it off with some Core'dinations cardstock and some embossing from the argyle cuttlebug folder.  This one just screams boy/masculine to me.  A bit of ribbon and some bling complete this card and leaves it still looking masculine.

 But wait, did you see that sentiment??  You guys all know that I don't stamp, right?  I know you are all freaking out right about now.  It's not that I don't enjoy the look or the process, but it's just not fully my thing and I don't own very many stamps or inkpads.  I do own a ton of Colorbox Cat's Eye inkpads though and I have this stamp that is kind of like a date stamp in a library where you spin the rubber and there are different sayings.  So I actually stamped on this one and then inked the edges with the same inkpad. 

So as I was working on this card I was thinking that I wanted to do a little survival kit for him to take to camp with him and I had already purchased a few items and a pencil case to put it all in.  So I was thinking it would be so great to alter or wrap the box and have it match the card.  First I altered the actual case by putting his name on it with vinyl.  The font is the Flourish and Flourish shadow feature on Old West.

Then I dug through my paper until I found the full size version of the same paper stack and sure enough I had just one sheet left of the same frog paper.  So I cut it in half lengthwise giving me 2 6x12 inch sheets.  I then glue the two together and wrapped it around the pencil case. and ashered with Terrifically Tacky Tape.  For anyone that is interested, the box is filled with the first aid kit, pre addressed, stamped envelopes and paper and pens, hand sanitizer, bug spray, sunscreen, chapstick with SPF, a mini fan and flashlight with extra batteries and a few other goodies.

With the extra paper from the survival kit I also decided to alter the little first aid kit that I had gotten him.  Braden just loves being prepared and even carries a first aid kit on his belt at school sometimes so I thought he would love to have one in his cabin at camp.  I first cut a piece of yellow cardstock from my scrap stash and then I cut the piece with the frog to cover.  I attached it with brads and photo anchors(is that what those things are called?) so that I could leave a note inside for him.  I used my new Stardust Jelly Roll pen to tell him to open it.

I also altered a water bottle for him to take.  I am sure he will also use this later if it doesn't get lost.  Big IF.

Around and around we go

This week over at Papercraft Star the challenge is circles.  I couldn't wait to play along.  I used a sketch that my friend Iva had posted in our group on the Cricit messageboard( I think it is from Pagemaps but not positive) and set out to make an easel card to fit the square sketch.  Then I found some paper in my scrap stash.  This dotted paper is from the Die Cuts With A View Citrus stack.  The other stuff is just hodgepodge from my stash.  I used the Spots and Dots Cuttlebug folder from Provocraft and some orange ink for my background.  The green circle is covered by a circle I cut out of this lace paper I had made when i first got my Gypsy.  It is actually a bunch of overlapping circles that make that pattern.  Some buttons, half a flower from my stash, some liquid pearls, as well as a hand written sentiment with my white signo uniball pen complete this card. 

Well all I am still alive.  Lots of things have been going on ariund here and I am sorry that I have not posted.  I have been crafting away and as promised I have some t-shirts to show you.  These were designed on my Gypsy and cut out with the Cricut expression machine(although if you are wanting to make some of your own you can use any machine.  I cut the shapes from heat transfer vinyl and I did have to flip the shapes on the Gypsy(can also be done on the Expression or Create right on the machine) and then you put the vilyl wrong side up on the mat.  After cutting you place on your shirt where desired and iron according to the manufacturer's directions.  A word of warning:  This vinyl has a clear cover that needs to be removed.  Please remove this before layering another color on top.  sounds like commom sense, but I forgot.  Oops.  In this next shirt I made this mistake and I had to add some exta design elements to hide my boo-boo

I also made 18 more of my scrap cards and decided that I am officially done with those for a good long while.  I will not bore you with any more pictures as they were exactly the same as the last ones.  I have been super busy crafting along with lots of great and exciting projects.  Problem is I can't show you any yet as they are either Design Team work or gifts for friends who also happen to be followers.  Soon, I promise.  One last promise I made to you is that I would share some exciting demo news.  I just received word that we will be demoing the Original Cricut in Best Buy stores.  This should be an interesting experience and I can't wait to see how it plays out.  I was also asked to work in a Michael's store about an hour from me as the demo there was not working out.  My manager is going to work with me to make sure I can do these the same days to save on drive time.  yay

Blog Awards

I really love all my bloggy friends.  I appreciate all of you for taking the time out to comment on my work even when it is something simple or I keep showing you the same project over and over.  I have received a few blog awards this week.  Thanks girls!

This one I received from my sister over at Christina's Creative Corner.  Well she's not my real sister, she is actually my not So secret sister from the Cricut messageboards.  we send each other crafty goodies and altered gifts every month and we chat alot.  I also received it from Wendy at Kingston's Creations.  I am supposed to list 7 things that I like.
1. I like(no I LOVE) all the inspiration that everyone posts on their messageboards and blogs.  I love to browse when I first get up in the morning so I can feel inspired all day long.
2. I like the beach.  So much in fact that I even got married there barefoot.  It will be 9 years this September.
3. I like(no, there's that LOVE word again) my family.  My kids and my hubby are my true inspiration
4. I like Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha Frappuchinos
5. I like Target.  I do not like that I have to drive an hour to get to one.
6. I like(no, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE) that I have my own scraproom.  OK so it is actually just a corner in the dingy, dusty, yucky looking garage and I call it The Dungeon, but it's mine, all mine!!
7. I like the sunshine.  I do not like the 100+ degree weather.

I got these next two from Anna over at Anna's Papercrafts.  Thanks for thinking of me.

I have been working on a new project to show you all.  I got a little bored with my scrap cards and was felling uninspired, although I am still determined to at least finish the stack I have started and possible make some more.  I am working on some t-shirts made with my Cricut and Heat transfer Vinyl.  So Check back later for that.  I may not have it up today, I had intended to work on it while the kids were at VBS, but my daughter decided she did not want to go(I think she needed some special Mommy time...or maybe just some time where she didn't have to fight her brother for the remote LOL) and then tomorrow I am going to take the kiddos to the coast, a church picnic on Saturday where I get to do face painting(another thing I like) and the usual Sunday madness.  I also wanted to let you know that I heard from my manager from the Cricut demo job and there is a new and exciting opportunity available that she wants me to be a part of.  More details on that later.

More scrap cards

Some more cards I whipped up today.  These are the same as the ones posted yesterday just in a different color scheme.  I have pieces cut for a few more then I am hoping to move on to another project that I have brewing.

What the scrap

I have made more scrap cards today.  A few nights ago I sat in front of my TV and trimmed my scraps into squares and then made the quilted paper.  I talked about it in the tutorial here.  I then cut the marquee shapes out on my Cricut with the Gypsy and the Storybook cartridge.  I also used some Cuttlebug embossing folders and ribbon and bling from my stash to complete the look.

Anytime card

This morning I was browsing through the blogs that I follow and I came across a great card sketch at Pink Lemonade.  Turns out Rose made it for a challenge over at Tuesday Morning Sketches.  It is an anniversary celebration over there and the challenge is to choose any of their sketches from the past year.  I chose #1 as it was the same one that Rose used.  I used my cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles embossing folder and papers from the finally dwindling scrap stash.  I hope you enjoy this. and feel free to head over to TMS to play along and check out all the fabulous sketches!