Cricut Mother's Day Flower - and CCR cut file

I have not had time yet to email the five individuals to whom I will be supplying the the email address and code to receive a three month membership to the Cricut Circle - I will get to that this weekend.  I truly wish I had codes for everyone who asked to receive one.  But alas, I only received 12.  I will make sure that all 12 are used though.

Like my friend Diane (Capadia) who also received a bouquet, I too had requests to create a cut file or instructions (or both) to create the Mother's Day Flower Bouquets which we received from Cricut to help spread the joy of the Criuct Circle!  It is a bit funny but both Diane and I came up with the technique, though we used different cartridges. 

Upon examination and dissection of my bouquet I established that the individual flower cuts used to create the each 3D flower each had ten petals.  Using Cricut Craft Room's search image feature, I searched every flower linked into the database and discovered that my flowers were created using the Serenade cartridge.  You truly could use any of the multi-petal flowers on any of a multitude of cartridges - even Plantin Schoolbook or George.  I went with Serenade because I feel certain that this was the flower used by the designers at Cricut and because I like the cut.

The cut file is available to download here on my blog - see Cricut Craft Room files in the left column.

In the photo above you can see my "page 2" of the cut file.  I set this cut file up to cut six flower on each page, EXCEPT page 1.  On page 2 you see three areas that have been cut:  the upper left and right contain the cuts for the flower centers.  The bottom half of the mat contains the cuts for the back of the flowers. 

Pierce a hole in the smaller back flower and attach a floral stem.  Atop the floral smaller flower add one of the large background flowers from "page 3" of the cut file. 

The CCR cut file has a total of four pages - page 1 contains four 3.75 inch flowers - the flowers that will be folded into quarters and used under the smaller center flowers.  For each 3D flower you will need to fold all four of the flowers into quarters.

Fold the four flowers in half, then in half again, adding adhesive dots to hold the folds, yet leave a 3D effect.

Affix the four folded flowers to the background flower.

For each flower you will need two of the flowers from page two of the cut file, one each of the two smallest flowers.  And you will need a button or brad for the flower center.

Layer the flowers and together and top with the button or brad.

Affix the flower centers to the middle of the 3D flower.  If you have not already done so, attach the leaf to the back of the flower!

These flowers are really soooo easy to make - and they are a big visual bang for a little effort!  If possible use double-sided cardstock to cut the flower on page one of the cut file (the folded flowers),  You can see I used black and white double-sided cardstock.

I will be back tomorrow with a post for National Scrapbook Day!!

Aloha Monday with BBTB2

It's an Aloha Monday with BBTB2!  My very talented design team sister, Karen, selected this week's Bitten by the Bug 2 cut - the pineapple on Wall Decor.  Since I do not own Wall Decor I had to select another pineapple from a different cartridge.  You would be surprised how many pineapples there are on various Cricut cartridges!  I selected this fun pineapple from Serenade!

Because I associate pineapples with "welcome" I decided to make a "Welcome to the neighborhood" card (hoping the house two doors down may sell soon).  I designed the card in Cricut Design Studio utilizing all three layers of the pineapple cut.  The bottom layer is a bright, fun yellow, the middle layer is a medium green, and the top layers are orange and lime green.  

I used the diamond embossing folder on the orange layer (top layer) of the pineapple.  I also used a rust colored Copic marker and did a bit of random coloring on the pineapple.  I added thin lines and amber colored gemstones.  I finished the card with the word "welcome" as well as icicle Stickles accents on the medium green areas.

The embellishment cuts are from Life's a Beach.  I thought my pineapple needed a bit of dressing up.  I layered two paper flowers together and added the lemon cut atop the flowers.  I added a fun circle sticker, mini flowers, and gems to dress up the lemon slice.

The base card was created by welding two mirror images of the base pineapples together at their tops.  I used scissors to snip away a couple of over hanging leaf tips.  Once the card was attached to the back of the pineapple, the card opens at the midpoint.

Today is your last chance to enter the awesome giveaway by The Original Scrapbox.  Go back to last Wednesday's post and read the instructions on entering.  I will be drawing a winner of this fabulous Giant Cutting Mat at midnight tonight.  And that's not all...... 

The winner from my blog will join nine other winners in a final drawing for this FABULOUS SEWING BOX!!!  Rachelle will be announcing the final winner on her blog on Friday!  Go back to THIS POST and enter.  The winner could be YOU!

Room For Rent

Happy BBTB2 Monday!!  The BBTB2 "challenge cut" for this week is the rick rack cut from the Plantin School Book cartridge. We could use the rick rack cut any way on any project we choose.  I have to tell you that I have used this cute little cut A LOT, often as a trim or embellishment.  This week the rick rack has become gingerbread trim for my birdhouse. 

Do you know a nice bird that needs a cute little house???  I have a room for rent!  I used three cartridges to create this cute card, Plantin Schoolbook for the rick rack cut, Just Because Cards for the matting layers and card, and Serenade for the bird house layers.  Serenade is a cartridge who's potential I have only begun to explore.  SOOO MANY cute, cute cuts on this cartridge!!

I embellished my bird house card with a strip of  navy ribbon, a blue polkadot daisy, and a bright red button across the bottom of the card.  As you can see in the photo below, I used pop dots to affix the bird house to the matting.  I also added strips of matching paper on the inside of the card.

Have you read the big news over at BBTB2?  We have seven (7!!) new design team members who will be joining the team with next week.  I am so excited to work with these fabulous designers!!!  Welcome ladies! I will have to find some serious MOJO for next week or I will be left in the scrap pile!!!

I have a busy week here at Busy with the Cricky so be sure to stop back tomorrow and see what else I have been up to.

Saying Goodbye to the Gypsy Spot

I am sad to report that today is the final posting at the Gypsy Spot blog.  Nilda has decided to continue on with her Cuttlebug Spot, but she has chosen to end the Gypsy Spot.  This last challenge was not a specific cut, but a home decor project.  The challenge is to use the Gypsy and the Cricut to decorate a heart cut out wooden frame purchased at Michael's for $1.00. 

The frame was available in several shapes:  oval, rectangular, circle, and square.   I chose the square frame.  I covered the frame with a coat of modge podge and then covered the frame in paper.  I applied another coat of modge podge over the paper and let it dry.

I then used my Gypsy and Cricut to cut out the lock and key, the flourish and flowers - the lock, key and flourish are from the Sentimentals cartridge and the flowers are from the Serenade cartridge.  I love the multi layered cuts of the flowers.  I added layers of prima paper flowers in with the cricut cut flowers for added depth.  I finished the embellies off with a sweet little bow and a decorative pin.

Anniversary Card Using One of My Favorite Paper Lines

This is my first attempt at this type of fun fold card.  I have seen this style referred to as a tri-fold card, but I think of it as a quad-fold card.  No matter how you count the folds, and there ARE several folds in going in opposite directions, it is the folds that make this particular card style unique.

As I stated in the title, I used one of my favorite lines of paper to create this anniversary card, Graphic45's Fashionista.  This paper is so fun and I confess that I have treated it like a special treasure and used it sparingly.  I thought the dancing couple worked especially well for an anniversary card.  The front image was from a 12 x 12 sheet of cardstock and the back image is a trimmed tag.

I left the center panel nearly empty to allow myself space to pen a greeting inside the card.  I did not want to distract from the frame and image on the back panel.  I used circle punches to cut out the women's faces that were used in the middle of the card.  I also punch matching matting for the faces.

The base card was cut using George, my old "go to" cartridge for shapes.  I used Sentimentals to cut the layered frames used on the front and back panels.  I used Serenade to cut the embellished swirls pieces.  I hope that the anniversary couple likes this card.  It's colors and unique style are what I find most appealing.

Happy Bird-Day Card for my Mother-in-Law

My mother-in-law's birthday (84) is three weeks away so I thought it was time to get going on a card for her. She is a diminutive, southern woman who enjoys the beauty of various birds - so of course this called for a Bird-Day card!

As luck would have it I stumbled upon a FREE copy of the Serenade cartridge yesterday! (Let’s all say WOO-HOO for free cartridges)! Okay I didn’t really stumble - - it was sent to me along with a warranty replacement cricut expression from Provo Craft. And what is on the Serenade cartridge??? Bird cages and birds – YES!!

I really like how this card came out. More importantly I think my mother-in-law will really like the card. She is very supportive of my paper crafting, even sharing projects I send to her with her friends. Of course now that I know that I do try to make her projects “share worthy”.

I used not just the Cricut and Serenade on this card, but also the tall nesties – scalloped and plain, the rectangular nesties – scalloped and plain, and part of a stamp set by Darcie’s. I used Stampin’ Up ink, Core'dination carstock, assorted other paper, and pink ribbon from my stash.