Theme Day Thursday July 28, 2011

Today my Design Team has choosen the theme of PETS today!

Here is what they have made to share with you.

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Ricki, Pat and Connie have made wonderful creations today..... AS ALWAYS!!!!

Ricki Used 3 Cricut cartridge to make this...

Country Life, Gypsy Font, and Story Book Cricut Cartridges.

I love the colors she used and the texture on the sheep, it actually looks like the curls on a real sheep!

To get all of the details and how Ricki made this....

PLEASE visit her blog to see this and everything else that she does! This card makes me miss HER!

I see a Columbus/Cincinnati road trip in my NEAR future! See you soon!

Ricki's Blog- http://manicexpressionsdesigns.blogspot.com/

I had the honor to meet Ricki in person AND she just won a Cricut Imagine last week when we were together at the Cricut Circle Event, thanks to Kat for helping

Ricki get a card in the box with her name on it!!!!

So Ricki and Kat is there shared custody of the Imagine machine!?!?!?

The list of reasons why I think the Cricut Circle is SO AMAZING just keeps growing and growing!

We also were able to purchase the NEW Cricut Toys!!!! Scroll down to Monday's post to see those, you can buy them soon at Cricut.com I will be sure to let you know when you can purchase those!

Not on to Pat, Whom I met at my first Cricut Circle event! What a Gem she is! So nice and LOVES the Nifty Fifties Cricut Cartridge.... I am missing that she didn't use it in this project.... But I have a feeling next week on her card she just might use it ;)

Pat used Everyday Paper Doll, Paper Doll Dressup and Lyrical Letters

So cute! Oh I meant the Dog, but they layout is cute too! You all know I am kidding!

I love the papers she used and the CUTE dog (both of them, the real one and the Cricut one!) !!!

I have to say Pat is one of the nicest people I have met, I also feel lucky enough to call her a friend, a very talented one at that!

Please make sure you go to her blog to see how she made this and what great things she has made with her Favorite Nifty Fifies Cricut Cartridge!

http://micraftygal.blogspot.com 

Last but NOT least on to Connie, I have not yet met her, but I do hope to!

What a creative and unique way to show off her pet!

Who would have thought of flowers on a pet layout! This is why I love my Design team SO MUCH!

I see the name Bella on the picture, What a beautiful name, for almsot 4 years now, that has been my favorite name in the WORLD!!! You have great tastes in names!

Please visit Connie's blog to see how talented she is!

http://conniescraftycloset.blogspot.com/

Design Team Call!

Please apply BEFORE July 30, 2011 at midnight EST,
no late entries can be accepted, so sorry. 
But you have alot of time between then and now!

I will announce the entire team,

including new team members on August 1st, 2011

I am looking for a few NEW people to add to my design team.
I am looking for two types of people:
     1. People with great creative skills that will really push us outside of our crafty comfort zone.
     2. Beginners, with potential & help others will feel like they can make what you have created.From them I am looking for 2-4 postings a month (you can do more if you would like)
If you do not have a blog that is OK, If you make the team we will help you create one!
You will get some goodies from me 2x during your term. So every quarter throughout the year.
The term is form now unitl January 15th, 2012
There are two terms a year.

You have to participate in the monthly 100 Cricut Cartridge Blog hop the first weekend of the month.
If you dont know what any of these things are, myself and my design team will HELP you with all of it. I just started blogging ONLY a few months ago. I have about 5 people who have created blogs since they have joined the team. The team is so helpful to answer questions and everything!
You do NOT have to be experienced to apply. I am looking for 3 beginners. My site is all about beginner learning to use their Cricut Machines, so I NEED beginners to help and encourage other beginners.
I have a very diverse team. So everyday when someone comes to the blog they feel like there is at least one project that they feel like they could make. We want everyone to feel welcome and encouraged around here.

If you would like to apply please email me EricaCraftRoom@aol.com please add
1. Your favorite Project you have ever made with the Cricut,
2. If you have a blog address please include it, if not just let me know you do not have a blog (this is ok)
3. Let me know if you are on any design team
4. Let me know if any what blog you like to follow and why
5. Dont forget your name :)
6. Put how often you think you would like to make something to share
7. Pick out of these categories which ones would interest you the most (you can pick one, more than one, or all, or if one sounds interesting to you, but you would like to know more about it)

My IMAGINE-ation! Mondays! Cricut Imagine or E2 made with Imagine cartirdges
Card Creating Tuesdays, Just as it sounds, cards invitations…etc
Would you guess… Wednesdays- On this day, we use ONLY the features on the cartridges. What this means is when you look at the handbook, you cannot use the main image on the left side of the page. But you can use ALL of the other features or layers. Also you can use a CAKE cartridge to make a Paper creation.
Theme Day Thursdays, you pick the theme based on a cartridge….
Baby, Birthday Wedding, girls, boys, friends anything you can think of…….
Festive Fridays…. Christmas all year J You may also do another Festive Holiday, but Christmas is my favorite and many other people
Scrapbook Saturdays…. Scrapbook layouts ….  (on the weekends when we do not have a blog hop)Card Creating Sundays, We make cards to share (on the weekends when we do not have a blog hop)

If you do not understand one of these, just put that on your submission and I will try to answer it for you.

Best of Luck to all who apply!

Project Sunshine and Smiles

       We are all working on the Project Sunshine and Smiles for St. Jude's Children Hospital. We are colleciting 5,000 cards for the kids there. I have created this project "Sunshine and Smiles" and basically I am goign to the hosptial to deliver the cards, but I am going to bring as much sunshine into that hospital as I can. I hope to see a ton of smiles from the kids getting these cards. If I dont see a smiel from the cards, then I will do everything that I can to put a smile on that child's face.
      I am also trying to get John Rich a country music STAR, to join me on this project, and he just might bring a few of his celebrety friends to help! I will be collecting cards from now until the end of August. You can mail them to:
Erica's Craft Room
4364 LaBurnum Drive
Akron, Ohio 44319
If you have any questions about this please email me
EricaCraftRoom@aol.com and put Sunshine and Smiles as the subject of the email.
     Here are a few more details about the project. You can make any type of card, using and crafting technique that you know, please write a simple message in the card to a child. Please do not remind the child of their illness, most are fighting childhood cancer. You may say get well soon, but DONT say, "I know how you feel and it is not fun...." please DONT say anything like that. But you can say "Get Well Soon" "I hope this puts a smiel on your face".... you get the idea.... you dont need to ask if soemthing is ok to write in it, as long as you do not remind the child of their illness, it is ok.
Frequently asked questions....

Can a child make a card for them?
YES YES YES!!!!
Does it have to be a certain size?
Any size!
Do I have to add envelope?
Nope, I am going to have these in a large (Clean) red wagon for the kids to pick thier own card
Can I put them in envelopes?
Yes
Do I have to use the Cricut to make these??
No, this is the ONLY project that you do not HAVE to use the cricut, but wouldn't it be great if you did :)
Can I make a birthday card?
Sure but I will leave those with the volenteers for the future to give to kids who are there for their birthday
Do I need to have a kids cartridge to do this?
No, you can use anything and make anything, even a card full of flowers. I am sure there will be one child who will love flowers, or bear, cars.... the sky is the limit!

      I do hope i have answered all of your questions if not, please email me and I will send it back to you and add it to the post here so others will see the question and answer.

In the meantime I am doing a contest for this....
Each week post your cards on my facebook Cricut Craft Room
Each week i will put all of the name in a bowl and pick a winner. Every card that you submit get you ONE entry into the bowl...
Each week out of those who posted cards, I will pick one and give away the Cricut Circle Exclusive cartridge Cricut Everyday, the only with all of the cute Cricut Images on it! I love this one!
I have 4 of these cartridges to give away, one each week.
At the end of the 4 weeks, who ever submitted the MOST carts will win the NEW Cricut cartridge that will be released this Thursday from Cricut, I cannot tell you the name only that S.S. are the initials for it.
If you have already mailed cards to me, they will be added to the total of cards you are submitting. I do not have to have these cards in my hand this week. BUT you have to post the picture on my facebook for it to count. If you have a card decorating party with your friends or social group.... You can count all of those cards from you , as long as your friends will let you :)


Blog Hop calendar for 2011ANYONE can sign up for ANY bog hop. (Except for December 10-11, these are special surprises my design team has for you)
All other blog hops are open to ANYONE!

For ALL of the blog hops these should be BRAND NEW projects, not posted anywhere else or entered into a contest before. This must be new and created specifically for this event. Please do not let anyone see this before the event, it ruins the fun of the blog hop! I will also have a graphic for each blog hop for you to post :)

The first weekend of every month is the
100+ Cricut Cartridge blog hop.   
 So there is NO limit to how many people can participate in this one. As soon as I have people sign up for 100 cartridges the event is then closed to new people, but I can always put you on the top of the list for the following month 100 cartridge blog hop. These 100 cartridges must be 100 DIFFERENT cartridges. So no one can sign up for one that has already been signed up for (but if you want to use more than you signed up for, that is ok)

So if you would like to sign up for a blog hop, please email me EricasBlogHop@aol.com if you would like to participate in one. VERY important, in the SUBJECT of the email please put the DATE of the hop you want.

Please send ONE email PER blog hop.
I might not see it if you comment on here to sign up, PLEASE email request. I have a system to sort these, so having the right subject for ANY email is always so important.
Also please include your:
Name
Cartridge
Blog address
Theme of the Blog Hop you want to do.
Date of the hop

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send ONE email per blog hop date. I sort them into email folders and if I file you in one date, i will miss you on all of the others. Thank you for doing this!

Tomorrow is Festive Friday AND Our Christmas in July Blog Hop!

August 6-7 100 Cricut Cartridge Blog Hop

August 20-21 Card and Invitation Hop

September 3-4 100 Cricut Cartridge Blog Hop

September 17-18 Boys and Men Blog Hop

October 1-2 100 Cricut Cartridge Blog Hop

October 15-16 Fall Favorites Blog hop

November 5-6 100 Cricut Cartridge Blog Hop

November 19-20 Recipe/baking blog hop

December 3-4 100 Cricut Cartridge Blog Hop

December 10-11 Princess Bella’s Birthday Blog Hop DESIGN TEAM ONLY

December 31-Jan 1 100 Cricut Cartridge Blog Hop

January 14-15 Winter/Snow Blog Hop

Card Creating Tuesday July 19, 2011

Welcome to Card Creating Tuesday!

My design team has made some wonderful projects to share with you.

I am still fighting the shingles and the nerve issues with it. Which also flared up my Rheumatoid Arthritis, so crafting is out for me for a few days. They have made some wonderful creations that I would love to share with you!

Terry used Birthday Bash Cricut cartridge to make this. I am going to scraplift this one!

To see how Terry made this please visit her blog

http://cricutcraftinterry.blogspot.com 

Pat used her favorite Cricut cartridge Nifty Fifty,

If she keeps making cards like this she can use it every week :)

To see how Pat made this please visit her blog

http://micraftygal.blogspot.com 

Tina used Create a Critter & Dreams Come True Cricut cartridges

She made this at my house the other day, so I got a sneak peek at it the other day!

To see how Tina made this please visit her blog

http://craftyandgreen.blogspot.com/

Make sure to come back tomorrow for

Would You Ever Guess Wednesday,

where we use unique features of our cartridges that you might not guess what we used to make it.

This is a day to use the feature keys on your cartridges, or use a cake cartridge to make a papercraft. Thanks for stopping by.

Don't forget to enter your email on the top right to have our daily creations emailed right to you!

My IMAGINE-ation Monday Project

I have a ton of pictures to show you how I made this card to my mom. We had a blog hop this weekend and I made this card Using my Imagine machine and the new Cricut Flower Shoppe Cartridge and Imagine More Card Cartridge. I used white paper, My Imagine machine, Imagine More Cards Cricut Cartridge, Cricut Flower Shoppe cartridge, my cutting mat adhesive and Misting Pearls! Oh and a set of My Creative Time stamps and Brilliance Inks.

There really was alot to the making of these flowers, so I will show up step by step how to make these and what to do and what to not do :) I learned a few things along the way that I would love to share.

I am going to show you literally step by step how I made this card and more importantly how to make these flowers with the new cartridge. This was a June 2011 release cartridge.

I cut all of these flowers at 2". U filled each of the flowers with the patterns from the Imagine More Cards Cricut cartridge. I did use the Lori's Garden Imagine Cricut cartidge to make the paper behind the 'glass vase' which is actually a acrylic jar from Peachy Keen Stamps. I used the brilliance inks to rub into the little cut lines that are on the 'glass' jar. then i wiped the excess ink off, so it only showed in the groves. This left a little smudge of color all over on the 'glass.' I had wanted to remove ALL of the ink that was not in the grooves.... but it worked perfect and made it seem like it was an old 'glass.' The silliest mistakes make the best projects. So here we go...

I cut all of the pieces for the flowers first. They were cut at 2" for the first flower on this mat I cut 10 of the individual petals. You have to actually look at the sample in the handbook, count the petals to know how many to cut out. I went through and put the number of how many petals I need on the page, so I don't have to count it each time.

While the cut out are still on my mat, I ink them there, less mess on my hands and more even color. I used the Brilliance inks, the Olive, Blue, and Desert Sand.

On these i inked the pink one to look like the color at the throat of flowers (darker toward the middle) for the ones with the olive ink, i wanted to make the tips darker. The blue ink was put at the tips.

You can see where I removed one, but on the purple ones, i inked the tips and down the middle so you can see how the purple one is inked to look like a pansy,that is what it looks like flat, but it will change when it is assembled. I inked the tips of the newprint petals and the tips of the blue ones. On the pink and blue circular images, i inked them, but with how they are cut it perfectly inked the edges of these more than the other parts of them, perfect for what i was looking for. Those will become the middle of the flowers.

Here is what they looked like when I removed the white that was left over after the cricut cut the pieces out.

Same thing here when the extra white is removed.

Here is the other page with the cut outs inked and white removed.

Here is the first flower that I attempted... they got better as I went.

The first thing i had to do was to choose colors and i wanted purple then pink, then purple then pink. You have to look at the colors in the book and how they correspond to the colors you want to use and how they are placed together. I counted 5 petals. Basically the flowers all have 4 'layers' to them.

 The center, the coiled part on the picture there are pictures. I set me cut outs below the book so I know where things go, this really helped help the colors and what goes where.

I took the middle and used 3 glue dots to secure this down, I am a person of more adhesive is better :)

Here is the purple with my ink job, it looks rough here, but ended up perfect.

 I creased the flower in between each petal and then down the middle of the petal.

To help turn flat paper into a pretty flower.

Here is layer one, two and three.

If you were to look at the book there are images in four quadrants, and how I put these together, they followed a pattern of the top row going left to right, then down then left.... to make it easy.....

1   2

4   3

So the numbers correspond the the images on the handbook, and then from the top (middle coil) to the layer below it then the next layer then he final layer. I found it best to go in this order when assembling them.

The layer that corresponds with my #4 as above. You need to count how many of that color is in the sample. So count them in the sample so you know how many to cut.

You can see how I used glue dots to apply the individual petals to the flower.

Here is it!

Now you can see how it looks like the book and how the colors coordinate to the sample.

So I found the middles to be slightly difficult, but after two they were very easy. So after you do one or two you should be a master too! There is a circular dot in the middle of each coil. The circular dot is the base then you wrap the rest of the coil around going to the outside of the first dot, your colored side of the paper should face IN. as you can see the white facing out in this picture.

Here is the top view of the coil.

I used a glut dot to secure this tail end to the circle. I made sure when it was put together before adding the glue dot to secure it, i let the coil a little bit loose,t hat way i was able to take my thumb and sort of fan the little pieces outward, so it made it a little softer and opened up.

Here was another one that I laid out like the book, and then i knew what color went where. This made it very easy to put together and see how many of the individual petals.

Here is the center of the next flower. You can see the actual little dot in the middle of this and you can see how I sort of feathered this out so it is not super tight.

I then put a glue dot on the bottom of the dot of the base of the flower center.

here i layer #2

Then here is all of the petals added to the back of the flower.

Here is the back side of what the flower looked like together.

Here is my flower next to the flower in the book.

Here is my little collection of flower. I know which ones I really like, and I can take the centers of the ones I really like, with petals of another.... this is great to really make these flowers original.

My Flower garden.

Here was my finished card with my flowers on it. you can see how I took the center off of the one flower, attached a cancer ribbon and then put the center back on it.

All of these papers were from the Imagine More Cards Cricut Cartridge

This sentiment is from Pain, Pain go away, My Creative Time stamps. I used lavender Brilliance inks. the pink is paper printed on the imagine, so it the blue. The purple is actually the same paper from the jar, but with the purple ink used in the flower and the sentiment.

This script paper is from the Lori's Garden Cricut Imagine Cartridge. I just printed a 12x12 piece of paper. I then put the 'glass' jar on the paper, traced it with a pencil. then I put it through the Xyron sticker maker to cover the entire piece of paper in adhesive.

I used the same paper from the jar and used lavender Brilliance Ink and cut them maybe at 1/4" wide. i just eye balled it and cut them thin on my

Your Story Trimmer (which is my favorite paper cutter I have ever used) Some of you ask what my favorite trimmer is, question answered.

I added a little bling to the middle of the flower and used 'frost' shimmer spray to finish this off.

You can see how i folded the newprint paper between each petal and down the middle of each one,

 to give it a life-like look.

Here is where i tried to sneak in the ribbon for my mom. I am actually sending this card to her and she has her appointment this week to find out her prognosis with her cancer. Say prayers on July 19, 2011 please.

I used the blue pattern on the imagine to make my card. I usually buy the premade cards and then decorate them, but this one was special, so, so was my paper.

I hope you enjoyed this and have a chance to check out what my design team has made with their Imagine machines also!